My Queen
by silverdiadems
Summary: The fate of her people rests on a man who has been missing for thousands of moons. Her king. (Miya/Estes)
1. Moon's Heir

-x-

silverdiadems presents

 **My Queen**

a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fanfiction

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise** Mobile Legends. **This is a piece of fiction written based on the game, but is not canon or officially tied to the game's lore in any way. The right to the franchise belongs solely to Moonton.**

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 _Part I:_

 _Moon's Heir_

Her name was Miya.

She had been young, just a trainee archer, when the war began. Frightened for her people's lives as well as her own, she had called upon the Moon to save her this once- in return for her life's servitude as a child.

It had granted her wish.

Her bow glimmered with more than just the natural light of the moon.

It lit with something more. The shine that illuminated its blue colourings was no simple catch of the light. She held it out, watching as it shone in the darkness, just like the moon.

She looked overtop the great pines of the elflands, and saw the slither of pure light that was the Moon. "Thank you," she whispered, and the bow shone brighter in response.

Cautiously, she made her way through the foliage. The Jungle contained many night terrors- which were every bit as real as they were frightening. Miya knew better than to simply walk unarmed in the Jungle. Pulling an arrow from the azure quiver slung on her shoulder, she watched as the quiver glowed briefly as the arrow was replaced by an identical silver replacement.

Tossing a curl of silver hair behind her ear, she drew back the bowstring, sliding the arrow into place. It clicked, metal on metal, and the bow creaked as the string dug into her fingertips before she released the bowstring.

The arrow cut through the air, flashing brightly with an ethereal glow before lodging itself in a Jungle monster's neck. Miya instantly felt her wounds healing, it was no secret that the death of Jungle monsters would bring health or speed to their killer.

Some believed it was the monster's soul that granted the regeneration and swiftness, but Miya could care less. She had come here for one purpose- to drive the enemy out.

For a long while, the Moon Elves had no king. They had never had a king in so long, after the child king Estes had vanished a hundred moons ago, shortly after Miya's birth. Her tribe of warriors had always lived in hope that their heir to the throne would return, but Miya knew better than to cast her hopes on a missing elf.

"It's been five winters," she muttered to herself, but also to the Moon. She now knew there was someone up there, listening, watching to her selfish thoughts and desires. After all, they had granted one of them. "Won't this cursed war stop?"

The night was silent of speech, the only sounds being the occasional song of the nightbirds with the large eyes, making hooting sounds through the dense forest. A rustle was heard in the bush, and Miya jumped back, an arrow appearing with a flash of moonlight in her bow.

A quick tug of the bowstring was enough power to fire the arrow into the darkness. She listened for its thud, signalling that it had landed, but it never came.

Alarm flashed through her cyan eyes, and Miya immediately willed her arrow to come to life with a mutter in elvish.

" _Arwella?" Hello,_ she called, clearly speaking in elvish with the language's signature high pitch. When no response came, she tried again in the national language. "Who are you? Show yourself at once!"

The sound of a blade cutting the tense air alerted her and she spun, allowing it to hit her azure armguards. The signature blue blade and blue attire was enough knowledge for Miya to quickly identify him.

"Demon Hunter," she hissed. "What business do you have in the Moon Elves' Land?"

The demon hunter replied not, allowing his attacks to speak for themselves. The sapphire blade slashed again and again, and Miya found herself dodging from side to side, evading the hunter's attempts at wounding her.

Already a proving a difficult task, for Miya was clad head to toe with elf-enchanted armour, which did not ever break or dent with damage. Her whole body was a shield.

She muttered a spell under her breath. " _Turbo Stealth,"_ she whispered, and her body vanished into the dark. She ran away, firing arrows behind her until the spell wore off and he could see her again.

Crouching in a bush, she watched from afar as the demon hunter stalked around the clearing, confused. She nocked an arrow, raising the bow's tilt to the sky. She fired the shot, the vibration of the bowstring hitting her entire body as she ran away towards the clearing, to the epicentre of her attack. Arrows of light rained from the sky, in shades of blue and white, freezing the demon hunter in his tracks.

She'd have a minute at the most to talk to the demon hunter.

"I have no business declaring war with your kind, _humans_ ," she muttered in distaste. "I will leave you be as long as you stay out of our hunting grounds."

Knowing he couldn't respond, she ran out of the clearing for the last time, not daring to look back. She'd gotten what she came for. It was only right that she should leave.

III

The sound of metal on metal clashed as the nightmare monsters grew numerous. She wouldn't admit it, but the metallic sound was more comforting then the sounds of the forest. She had been here, lived here, grown up in the midst of the battlefield.

Death was no stranger to the moonlight archer.

She remembered when her mother, the chief at the time, had led her friends to battle. She remembered when her mother came back on another's back, limp. She remembered asking _'why is she so cold?_ ' and receiving no response. She remembered when her mother died.

If she had died here on the battlefield, Miya assumed that she would too.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my friends," she said in courtesy to the other members of her small army. She had just changed roles in the war, and had been reassigned to another station. That greeting was the polite way of greeting strangers in her culture.

"A pleasure to meet the one blessed by the Moon," one said, and Miya smiled back, subconsciously tightening her grip on her bow.

She nodded towards her newly acquainted allies. "We begin now," she said, taking natural leadership of her comrades. It was clear who was in charge. The Moon had chosen her to use its divine power, and she would use it to lead her people to the freedom they deserved.

"To freedom," a young male elf said, echoing her thoughts, and the rest echoed in elvish. " _Arwena silvena." To victory._

" _Silvena,"_ Miya muttered. _Victory._ What did victory feel like? She had spent her life losing battles and watching others die because they had hope.

She knew better than to have hope.

She took the lead, clearing her head, as her boots hit the ground running as the elves of the moon charged through the battlefield. The Queen of the Apocalypse was nowhere in sight.

Until she revealed herself, she slayed the Apocalypse Queen's servants one by one, the banshees, they called them. She and her fellow elves stood in a line behind wooden walls that served as shields, as they fired arrows one after the other into the darkness beyond the wall.

The moon shone bright above Miya, and the archer felt her strength and determination increase as the moon shone with ethereal light, lighting the faces of her comrades and her own. She saw blood. She saw tears. She saw sweat and lost hope.

But she felt fire in her bones. Blue fire blessed by the moon, instead of the red that the Apocalypse Queen had used to slay her kin.

Blue flame lit her arrow, and she fired faster and faster, two arrows at the same time, then three.

 _Is this what it feels like to have hope?_

And then through the night they worked hard. They were sheltered by the wall, and by dawn the banshees were gone.

The Land of Dawn was worthy of its name, as the Sun rose with the crimson dawn- with the moon elves heading off to rest as the moon had gone, and the sun was hard on their pale skin. Only Miya remained.

She walked around splintered wall; and across the rock to the thickset of littered corpses.

"My, my, we _do_ have a Queen of Banshees."

Her blood raced to her head with recognition. The dark, sultry tone of the Apocalypse Queen was something Miya had not forgotten.

" _Miya, darling, run," she whsipers, and Miya sobs, stumbling as her mother pushes her away._

" _Run, Miya," she gasps, and Miya remembers the eyes, the hair. Eyes as evil as the red moon. Hair dark like the night of the apocalypse._

 _She knows those eyes._

" _Alice_ ," she hissed, and the self-proclaimed queen smirked, licking her lips. She nocked an arrow. "It'll take one shot to end this, you watch me. Your army is dead, and mine still remains. Who's the better queen?" She mocked, drawing the bow back.

"Your pathetic little moonarrow can't fly forever," Alice laughed, a sound of pure evil and ice. "You can try- I guarantee you won't hit me."

 _Accuracy, thy name is Miya._

"I can hit your left eye a _mile_ away," she boasted, as her arrow flamed with icefire. The blue flame tingled her fingers, but scorched her enemies.

"Oh, we're getting cocky now," Alice snarled, as red smoke and energy swirled around her batwings. "Let's –"

Alice never finished the sentence.

Miya had noticed the figure seconds before it connected with the vampire queen, but had not worried about it until now. A hood fell back to reveal light coloured hair, blonde locks that were stained with dirt and blood.

"And the blood of jungle monsters from the night before," Miya hissed to herself. _Demon Hunter._

The Apocalypse Queen widened her eyes, drawing a swirl of red smoke to her aid, but the red smoke did not hide the blade that sliced through the smoky barrier like butter, before sinking itself into the soft flesh of Alice's neck.

Miya winced.

A sapphire hue covered the blade that had sunken into her slender neck. The hunter tugged the blade out of her body, and the blood queen collapsed, her head dismembered from her body. Miya whirled to face the intruder.

"Demon Hunter," she hissed. "That was _my_ kill."

"It's my job," he replied, wiping his blade clean on a banshee's body. "I was raised to kill demons not unlike this one. Do you have a problem, Queen of Banshees?"

"Why are you here? How did you kill her so easily?"

He shrugged, sheathing his sword with a single swipe of his arm. "Our blades are enchanted with magic that works well again _magic users_. Your kind forges our blades."

Of course, they were enchanted with moonlight luminescence. She watched the blade as its sheath glowed blue because of the moon magic within it.

Miya remained silent, her chin raised in a symbol of defiance. "I thought you weren't going to come back. I warned you."

"I never agreed," he said nonchalantly. He stuck his hand out, after wiping it on his midnight hunter's cloak. "It's Alucard, by the way. I won't kill you if you don't kill me," he flashed a mocking grin.

"Miya, moonlight archer," she replied, tentatively sticking her hand out. His calloused hand gripped hers tightly. She cleared her throat, retracting her hand, before pulling her serious mask on. "Leave, intruder. I do not believe my people will tolerate you on out land."

Alucard wasn't in a hurry to leave, but she had made him leave swiftly when she threatened him with a silver tipped arrow.

Walking her way back to the makeshift camp, Miya spent the day not sleeping like the other elves, but thinking.

 _What do I do now?_

The war is won, now life is just… boring. She had enjoyed the rushes of adrenalin and the sweat that poured down her back as she fought. She loved to fight. She missed the air that smelt faintly of blood and the dull pain that throbbed through her body, the scars on her fingertips from the bowstring-

Life was about adventure for the moonlight archer. She didn't intend on letting the fun stop here.

And then again there were her people to think about. They had no leader to lead them into rebirth and regrowth. Miya was wise enough to know that she would not make a good leader, but the Moon had given her the power to seek out one. They needed to have their ruler back, to keep their people _alive_.

The king was vital to the moon elves in ways that Miya did not like to explain.

She would look for the lost king.

 _Estes._

III

 _The Next Day_

She ran into the woods, bow in her hand, as she tore past wastelands and into the mountains.

She'd follow the Copper Road, the road of trade and idea exchange. The copper roads would lead her to the Great city of Lorean, where there elves that worked with metal and ore dwelled.

Miya had bid farewell to her kind. It was full of tears and hugs, with the promises of returning with their king.

" _Come back soon," her comrade and friend Neshya had whispered into Miya's pointed ears as the two girls clung to one another, not wanting to let go._

" _I will," she promised. "I don't make promises I can't keep,_ shewar," _she smiled, pulling Neshya's arms from around her._

" _I'll be back. And I promise not to walk in here without our King."_

" _Maybe you'll be queen," Neshya joked, and the two laughed softly before saying goodbye._

She'd walked out with her head held high; she'd better walk back in with it still attached to her neck.

III

 _Three Days Later_

A faint noise woke Miya from her sleep.

She had climbed up on of the evergreen pines lining the Copper Road to sit in, as she had planned to sleep away from the scorching heat of the sun, in the shade of the upper canopy of foliage. Moon Elves did not require sleep to be at full health, but with the sun sensitive to their pale skin, it was a pass-time in the sun-lit hours.

"Nananana!"

Miya frowned. What in Dawn's name was that? She blinked, reopening her lapis coloured eyes to the light hues of the world.

The world looked strange in the sun.

Sun brought colour, lighter scenery and what the humans called _rainbows_ of shades into her vision. It was strange. Miya preferred the dark colour palette of the night over the warm colours of day.

She dug an arrow tip into the trunk of the pine, before swinging off the trunk to shift her weight onto the arrow. The arrow shuddered, but held her weight. Using this method, she clambered down.

"Nananananana," the cat-like sound chirped. A small 'meow' soon followed.

She peered at the flash of pink behind the wishy-washy strands of landweed.

Pulling the ferns aside, she found herself staring into the violet eyes of a cat-human. She widened her eyes in surprise, watching the girl as it muttered softly to herself.

The cat girl blinked its large eyes at her, before closing them as her paws disappeared, replaced with normal human hands. She looked a little more human, but the pink cat ears and tail remained.

"Hello," she chirped, and Miya blinked, surprised. "I'm Nana!"

Deciding there was no harm in doing so, Miya smiled softly, and petted her on her head. "I'm Miya, a moonlight archer."

"Nice to meet you, Miya," Nana said, waving enthusiastically. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped up and down. "Oh, _oh_! Look, Mr Boomerang," she said, talking to the stripped boomerang she pulled out of seemingly thin air, "Miss Miya's just like me! Her ears are funny too," she giggled at something her object said in her imagination said, before reaching up to Miya's face.

She winced, as Nana gasped at her pointed ears with excitement.

"Mr Boomerang, they're so- _nananananaana_!"

She watched as Nana's cat claws resurfaced, replacing her hand with a pink paw. "Nana," she said cautiously, "are you…alright?"

"Nanananana," Nana said comfortingly, smiling. This went on for a while before the magic eventually wore off, and Nana could speak again.

"It happens all the time," Nana said, forcing a smile. "I can't control it. I've been told its some sort of shape shifting magic. I can do this, too! Watch me, Miss Miya!"

The small presentation of show and tell occurred for a long time.

The girl's optimism and positive view on life were contagious, as Miya began to relax, letting the girl lead her off the Copper Road and into the foliage. A jungle monster came in sight, and Miya immediately stood in front of the pinkette, nocking an arrow.

"Stay back, Nana," she whispered, but to her surprise the girl only laughed.

"It's fine, Miss Miya," she assured. "Look! They're scared of Mr Boomerang!"

She threw the boomerang with a surprising amount of force, and Miya watched as pink light engulfed the boomerang mid-air, and when it landed, the shower of sparks indicated the use of magic damage.

"Wow," she said in response, and she watched Nana's face light up in joy.

"You liked it?' Nana questioned, as she caught the boomerang and tossed it into her teal backpack.

"Amazing, Nana," she said, and she wasn't lying. The girl had a huge amount of magic power, and later in the day, when she showed Miya she could shapeshift other objects into these strange blue animals, Miya was beyond impressed.

"Did anyone teach you this?" Miya asked, as they sat around a modest fire. It was dusk, and they had gone hunting together an hour before, foraging for some berries to eat and small creatures to cook.

Nana had shown a surprising amount of knowledge in the local flora, knowing which fruits to pick, and which ones to avoid. Miya had asked how she knew, and Nana shrugged, replying with 'experience'.

"No," admitted Nana, as she ravenously tore the meat off the cooking stick. "I tried to teach myself to tame the 'inner cat'," –she giggled at this- "but it never worked."

Miya thought for a moment, working the meat around her mouth, before washing it down with a mouthful of water from her canteen.

"Watch this," she instructed the young feline, and held out her palm.

Until now the firelight had been their only source of light in the dark, (it was new moon, much to Miya's annoyance) casting orange-red shadows on their faces. But now, as energy swirled around Miya's palm, the firelight was no longer the primary light source.

A smoky orb of pure white appeared, with wisps of glowing smoke around her hand. " _Esta,"_ Miya said, and when Nana pealed her fascinated eyes off the elder's palm, she looked at Miya in confusion.

"Esta?" Nana echoed, confused.

"Elvish for Moon, or moonlight," translated Miya. "The Moon gifted me and its followers, the moon elves, with its magic power. I have more power than most, for the Moon gave me its blessing many moons ago." She looked at Nana, but instead she saw something much more powerful than any being.

 _In you, I see potential._

"If you want, I can teach you," Miya began slowly, watching as the child's eyes widened, and she jumped up and down. "Teach you to control your power. But only if you-"

"Yes, Miss Miya, yes!" Nana said, laughing. "Thank you so much!"

And when Nana threw her arms around Miya's waist, her heart throbbed with something painful, yet beautiful.

III

 _The Next Morning_

They set off the next morning, with Nana in an upbeat mood, and Miya feeling grumpy because of the scorching sun. _What would Neshya think_ , -she sighed inwardly- when she came home all tanned because of some hideous ball of light in the sky.

 _At least the Moon is easy to look at,_ she grumbled, and Nana, oblivious to Miya's inner discomfort, kept talking about her life alongside the Copper Road.

Nana would point out familiar things to her every now and then, as they heading South, where Miya had planned to go before she ran into Nana. The Copper Road was the fastest route to Lorean, where other elves dwelled.

There were only two elf kingdoms, but _three_ elf races- one was Arelia, from which Miya and the Moon Elves dwelled with their counterparts The Night Elves. The two races dwelled in a kingdom near the north where there was as little sun as possible, in a state of uneasy coexistence. The other, Lorean, was populated with the steel Elves that had nearly twice the resistance to the heat.

Miya figured that if Estes were found, if he weren't brought to Arelia, he would have been brought to Lorean. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out if a child was an elf or not, due to his pointed ears. Though the moon elves looked different to the elves of Lorean.

This journey was set on a gamble, and Miya was willing to take the chance.

Though she _had_ thought out what to do next, if her plan were to fail. If Estes wasn't at Lorean.

She'd planned several steps ahead, just in case.

III

 _Afternoon_

Through three nights, the unusual duo had made their way to the city of copper at last.

Lorean was beautiful in its own way, the buildings so bright and reflective with the ethereal glow of the Sun. Miya personally didn't enjoy the over-lighting so much, but the looks of wonder of Nana's face made her tolerate it for some period of time.

" _Wow_ ," Nana finally whispered, putting to words her awed expression.

"Wow," Miya agreed.

The two made their way to what Miya assumed was the dwelling of the steel elves' leader, as it was the grandest building by far in the city.

Miya muttered at Nana to stow her boomerang- she didn't want the Moon Elves to come off as hostile. They were here for information- and information only.

With a little more force than necessary, Miya pushed open the bronze doors of the dwelling, to reveal a ground floor equipped with various luxurious goods in many shapes and forms.

The centre of the room was adorned with a fountain from which a liquid gold-like substance trickled down. The ceiling was adorned with sparkling light fixtures that contained small glass bulbs with glowing light within them. Miya briefly wondered if this was the 'electricity' the steel elves had boasted about.

Before Nana's eyes became the size of dinner plates, Miya guided her apprentice to the front desk, a reception of sorts, to greet all the ambassadors of the foreign lands.

"Moon Elf," greeted the female receptionist with a grin, scribbling something down on a piece of paper with –what they called- a 'pen'.

"That I am," Miya replied evenly, as the receptionist gave them her full attention. The shiny badge on her leather jacket named her as Lolita.

"We're here to request a viewing with your leader," she continued, and Lolita nodded, scribbling down the details of their visit. She passed the unusual duo two makeshift name tags.

"Write your name and species on these," Lolita instructed, handing them a pen each. Miya wrote hers in a neat cursive of the common language, and quickly took over writing Nana's when she realised her student had a rather untidy scrawl.

"Level Four," said Lolita, directing them to the lobby behind her. "Take the lift up. You'll need to swipe your card to enter level four though," she gestured at their name cards. "Off you go. Have fun," she finished with a toothy grin.

Nana grinned back with equal fever, while Miya managed a polite smile.

They made their way to the lobby, pocketing some very curious stares and overdramatic whispers. They approached a set of steel doors, both smooth and of equal size. Miya pushed on it, but it didn't budge.

"How does this thing-"

She almost lost her balance when the two halves slide open under her fists. She jumped back, surprised, while Nana laughed.

"I clicked this button," Nana said, and the two made their way inside the claustrophobic chamber that had been revealed.

Miya pressed the button that had '4' written on it, and blinked as the number turned green under her touch.

"It's called a lift," Nana said, as the doors slid close and they moved up the many floors of the building.

Miya shrugged in response.

"Level Four," a mechanical voice said from the ceiling, and the two jumped, before rushing out the doors before they slide shut.

Miya was pleased that a reasonable amount of her dignity was still intact.

In front of them lay a set of rose gold double doors. Miya walked briskly over to them and tried the handle, but the handle remained still and unmoving. A small black _thing_ lay on the door, with a narrow space large enough to fit Miya's name card. She slotted it into the plastic object, and blinked as it flashed green, giving her back her card.

Miya tried the door again.

To her satisfaction, and Nana's cheering, it swung open. It revealed a sunlit room filled with gold and bronze. The entirety of the back wall was made of glass, letting warm rays of sunshine trickle into the grand room.

Five figures sat on the long horizontal table in front of them.

There was one lady, seated in the middle of four men, whose golden-brown hair was adorned with a halo of golden leaves. She smiled at the newcomers, glancing at the others on the table, so they would be quiet as she addressed the guests.

"What brings you to Lorean, Moon Elf?" She said, addressing Miya but not her pink haired accomplice.

"We are here for information on our king," Miya replied, bowing slightly to the Lorean Princess, motioning for Nana to do the same. The young feline did the same, a clumsy bow which the princess smiled gratefully at.

"You may rise," she intoned, and the two rose.

Miya opened her mouth to speak, to explain, but the loreanian held a delicate and sun-kissed hand up to halt her speech. "Do not think I do not know who you are, Miya Estella."

She winced as the princess used her clan name.

"Your bravery has travelled far south to the ears of us of Lorean. We understand your people are free from the Blood Queen, and we are most pleased to hear our kin has prevailed."

 _Kin? You didn't care at all when Alice took over Arelia._

"And now you seek your ruler."

Miya felt a hand slide into her own, looking down to meet violet eyes and fuchsia hair. Nana refused to look at the moonlight archer, her gaze locked with the Loreanian princess. Miya squeezed her hand.

 _It's okay._

"We do," said Miya, pleased when her voice did not waver. Her arrows never wavered, and neither would she.

Lolita burst through the doors, carrying a file. She placed on the table, bowed stood to attention next to Nana.

"Thank you, Lolita," the princess murmured. "Dismissed." The young steel elf left the room.

The princess took out the file, a plastic sleeve which within were many documents. She shuffles through them before taking out a single sheet.

"Please, come closer," the princess said, _(whose name is Lorella, Miya remembers)_ and the two shuffled forward to see the piece of paper.

Upon the paper was a map of the Land of Dawn, and Miya's eyes scanned it once, twice, before finding their current location, the orange spot marked 'Lorean'.

Lorella received a pen from her assistant with a smile, before circling a far north-east point on the map.

Underneath were three words, naming the place. _Pit of Despair._ Miya flinched when she saw the name. The pit of despair was a domain for the souls of the dead-

Why did Lorella circle it?

 _Estes, Lorella, the Pit of Despair-_

 _(-if Estes is at the pit Estes is …_ _ **dead**_ _.)_

 _ **Dead.**_

" _Surely_ ," Miya blurted out, causing a whimper from Nana, who too, like Miya, had figured out what the princess was implying. "Surely Estes _can't be-_ "

 _-dead?_

Estes _dead_ would mean the moon elves would have no blood-heir to the throne. No one could properly heal and cleanse the elves after the Dark Month.

The last Dark Month had been when Estes' mother, Esteria, had used her power to save the people from the lack of a moon in the sky. The ruler existed solely for that purpose.

" _We only have a few years left,"_ she remembered Neshya saying to her one night. " _We can go without moonlight for barely two days. There is one month every one thousand moons where there is no moonlight, the Dark Month. Without a ruler to replace the moon's energy with their own, us moon elves will-_

"…we die out," Miya finished in a whisper under her breath.

The pit of despair was where the Valkyries took souls of the dead, to reunite them with their bodies and take them to the afterlife. Estes being there could only mean one thing.

 _Estes is_ dead.

"We don't know," the princess said, her molten gold eyes piercing Miya with a rare display of _not-knowing._ The archer raised her gaze slightly, listening, but not believing. "We sent out signals for him, and one came back affirmative and matching with Estes' signature, in the Pit of Despair.

"However, we believe he has a good chance of still being alive, because he still has enough lifeforce left to have an aura. If you wish to seek out your king, your best shot would be _there,_ " she said, pointing at the dot on the map.

 _Alive in the Pit of Despair is unlikely. Dead in the Pit of Despair is guaranteed._

"Valkyries guard the pit," Miya continued, with little hope in her eyes. Nana had let go of her hand, and started pacing the bronze floor in circles. "I don't suppose you have an alliance with the angels of life and death, do you?" The question had been partly sarcastic, but had not been treated as such.

"No," Lorella said with regret. "I wish you both luck." _You'll need it,_ were the unspoken last words. "I, too, know of the moon elves' fate shall their ruler not resurface soon. I earnestly do not want my friends to perish."

"Thank you," Miya said softly, gesturing at the door. "Can we-"

"You can," Lorella replied swiftly.

Miya grasped Nana's hand as they walked out. They closed the doors behind them, hearing the unfamiliar metallic click as the lock was reset.

They stood in silence.

 _Estes is gone._

"What now?" Nana asked, biting her lip, as Miya shot a dark look her way for the question, before it melted into compassion and regret.

She was angry. Angry that her race would die. _She could imagine the night elves taking over the rest of Arelia, with their leader Karina smirking as she sat in the moon throne-_

She counted the months since his disappearance on her fingers.

 _I have three months. Three months before the next Dark Month._

 _Three months to live out what should be at least seventy years._

"I don't know," whispered Miya. The two lay against the walls opposite the silver lifts, both downcast and with no hope.

 _I really don't know._

 **-End Part I out of II-**

 **( )**

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Preview of Part II:

"You need to save them, Miya!" Neshya was crying, shaking her friend's shoulders with her pale hands. Her blue eyes dug into Miya's own. "You must! I don't… I don't _want to die,_ " she sobbed, and Miya pulled Neshya into her chest, a hug from sister to sister. "It may seem selfish," Neshya continued, sniffling, "but _not yet!_ We can't… _we can't_ …" Neshya's cries trailed off as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Hush," Miya whispered, until her sister's cries were no more. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"No," Neshya hissed, and Miya glanced sharply at the sudden change in demeanor. "You have the power Miya, use it! If not what for? The Moon herself has deemed you worthy and you sit here and do _nothing?!_ If a coward is the one who has been blessed with the Moon's power, then, _Moon forgive me_ , she has chosen the wrong person worthy of her power!"

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 **[author's note]**

Hello, and thank you for reading. Rest assured- for this fic will be continued in the next 3-4 chapters.

 **Why?** I wrote this because of the lack of Miya x Estes in my fellow MLBB fanfic author's work. This is not criticism to his story, just it was inspired by it. Thanks for the inspiration. (Keep up the good work, Arcturus420! I love your story. ;D) I absolutely adore Miya; it feels like I know her better than anyone. Miya's personality came to life instantly as I wrote this because it was so similar to mine. I adore you, moonlight archer. 3 This was also a really fun side project, with a break out of the _Anime_ community and stepping into the baby pool of the _Gaming_ community.

 **MLBB Rant:**

 **Yes** , I am a Miya main, (wasn't it obvious?) who has yet to get a decent Miya skin (cough modenna butterfly) and a sub Rafaela and Odette. I usually play ranged heroes, (marksman, mages, support) with the occasional fighter and assassin (mainly Natalia). I never play tank. I usually play female heroes cause- well, I'm female.

 **Oh, and** have you all noticed the ridiculous amount of heroes Moonton has been spitting out? There's like a new hero every week now. It gets a little annoying, cause I keep running out of BP to buy the new hero that I REALLY like. Pharsa was just released (her ult is op lol), soon to be accompanied by Lesley (which i bought asap), Jawhead and Angela. And Gossen. And this Mage Assassin hero. New releases of heroes were meant to be exciting, but when happening at this frequency, new heroes are now as exciting as a minor bug fix.

 **End Note**

Thanks for Reading! It took forever to type this, ya know. (15. Flipping. Pages.)

 **The Mobile Legends FanFiction Community is small, so any feedback in the form of reviews (!) or alerts is deeply appreciated. Without feedback, an author cannot know what he/she is doing wrong. (or right). Please report spelling or grammatical errors please.**

[player _silverdiadems_ has logged out]


	2. Crystallized Hope

-x-

silverdiadems presents

 **My Queen**

a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fanfiction

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise** Mobile Legends. **This is** **a piece of fiction written based on the game, but is not canon or officially tied to the game's lore in any way. The right to the franchise belongs solely to Moonton.**

* * *

 _Part II:_

 _Crystallized Hope_

"Come on, Nana. I'm taking you home."

The elf cat mage widened her violet eyes. "Home, Miss Miya? I don't have a home," she said, saddened with the realisation.

Miya kicked herself inwardly for the statement. The moonlight archer and her companion were sitting on one of the copper benches in Lorean's largest park, King's Park. After learning the presumed fate of the moon elves' king Estes, the two had taken to sitting here to get their act together.

"Sorry," Miya said, her tone softening from its usual sharpness. "But you have a home now, Nana. I'm sure my kin would welcome you as one of our own."

Nana's eyes widened and she smiled, ironic in the situation the duo were in. "Home," the feline murmured.

Miya used the reminiscing and silent Nana to her advantage- to finally clear her head and figure out _what next._ Home, then what? As much as Miya longed for Arelia (the lakeshore dwelling were her kin lived) she knew she couldn't stay.

She would be regarded as a failure. One gifted with the power but lacked the ability to use it to do what really mattered. Even her powers couldn't bring back the dead.

The hardest of all would be Neshya. Her friend has sent Miya on her way with so much hope in her blue eyes- it was as if she had never considered for a moment that she would return unsuccessful. For them, in their naivety, the worse scenario was Miya dead.

She had vowed to come back alive, but she might as well have come back dead.

Either way, she had failed her mission. At least if she were gone she wouldn't have to bear the silent disappointment and despair of her own.

Miya would rather die than to see her dearest friends in such despair.

Luckily for Miya, she would only have to bear three months before the dark month came and sucked the life out of her kin.

 _Just three months with their disappointment._

"Come on," Miya chided Nana. The two gathered their limited belongings- Nana, a small blue backpack, and Miya, a small brown bag with money and basic first aid gear that was stuffed at the bottom of her quiver of arrows. She shouldered the quiver, hitching it higher on her back, before tugging at Nana to join them.

They passed through the radiant gold gates of Lorean, and headed back North to Arelia. Arelia was positioned close to Lake Ashyyr, which was a place that was sacred to both night and moon elves alike. It was one of the little things the moon and night elves were at peace with.

Night elves were darker versions of the friendly moon elves. Legend portrayed them as a small clan of moon elves which had developed a **cure** to surviving the dark month without the heir of moonlight- and thus gone rogue, starting their own twisted dark race.

These days, night elves were slaves to other races, as they were hired as assassins to other countries. This made them a wealthy race, but secretly so. Few knew the true nature of the night elves. They hid themselves from the moon, refusing to let its rays touch them- casting a dark twist on their personalities.

Being moon elves by genetics, they yearned for the moon at heart, but instead were only satisfied by the substitute which had kept the race alive.

She shook her head. Miya didn't like thinking about the night elves. Being away from the moon for so long would be devastatingly hard- even thinking about it chilled her to the bone. The moon was their life force, and to stay away from it…

She didn't want to think about it.

As two headed further and further from Lorean, their surroundings grew dimmer, being away from the city of bronze and gold. They trudged along in the sweltering heat of the late afternoon, when Miya opened her mouth at last, in the silence, to speak to her student.

"Hey, Nana," she said, watching as the mage turned to her with a smile.

"Yes, Miss Miya?"

Miya stopped dead in her tracks as she bent down and put her hands on Nana's shoulders, as the pinkette had also stopped. "Promise me Nana," she whispered, shaking the girl. " _Promise_ me you'll stay safe when I'm gone. _Please,_ " she begged hoarsely as Nana, who widened her eyes with shock pulled herself from Miya's grip, her head in her hands.

"No," said Nana, who had allowed a few tears to fall from her violet eyes as she quickly wiped them away. "Don't speak like that, Miss Miya! You're not going to… _you aren't right_?"

When Miya didn't reply, the cat elf mage began to wail. "You can't," Nana sobbed. "You can't, you can't…"

Miya could feel her eyes beginning to sting with the crystalline liquid that made her tears. She blinked them back, focusing her attention on calming down Nana, who was shaking her head, ears down, tears running down her cheeks, and buried in Miya's arms, repeating her mantra of lies over and _over and over._

" _You can't, you can't you can't you can't-"_

"Nana," Miya snapped, and the cat elf mage jolted out of her reverie and into Miya's gaze so quickly that Miya swore a bone broke. "Don't deny it." She swallowed the lump in her throat, brushing away the tears on her student's cheeks. "I'm still here, Nana. Still here. It might not be for long, _but_ ," she said, shaking her head as Nana began to wail. "No, Nana. _But,_ " she continued, "You need to promise me. Remember everything I've taught you. Can you promise me that, Nana?"

Nana remained silent, the afternoon sun behind her lighting up the tear trails on her cheeks. The sun blended into the canopy of trees, beginning sunset.

"I can't," Nana whispered, her eyes searching for answers to all the questions in Miya's eyes. "I can't Miss Miya… I can't. You," she sobbed, as Miya stroked her hair calmly.

"You made me find _myself_ again," said Nana, her eyes filled with wonder and sadness. "You let me break free. You taught me to control those urges… Miya, you gave me my _life_ back. You gave a life… and now you lose _yours_ ," she cried. " _It's not fair!"_

Miya held her breath, and let it go.

With that breath, she reopened her eyes and let the tears out.

"Darling," Miya murmured to Nana, as she tugged her upwards, to stand again. The two started to walk at a slow pace along the path, both a mess of tears and red eyes. "You need to learn, darling, that _life's not fair_ ," she bit out. "We will all die. The faster you learn that lesson, the better."

Nana nodded, sniffling as she fiddled with her fuchsia hair. "Alright," the girl whispered. "I can do that."

"Good," Miya said, and she meant it. "Now, remember-"

"-don't eat the mushrooms with green spots," they said in unison. Nana gave a wobbly smile.

"And?"

"If your enemy is a man, kick him where his legs-"

"Not that one," Miya quickly said.

"Oh, of course! Never let anyone make you inferior because no one can make you feel inferior-"

"-without your consent," ended Miya.

When Nana gave a grin in response, the moonlight archer put her arm around the mage, drawing her close. I will keep her safe, she thought. For as long as I am able to.

"You know, Miss Miya, you've taught me so much. So much. I… _thank you_ ," said Nana, smiling in earnest at her teacher. "I'll never forget you, or what you've taught me. Never."

Miya felt her heart throb violently with the same emotion she heard in Nana's voice. She held the girl tighter in response.

"That's my girl," Miya whispered.

III

 _Later_

Shattered silver and glass was all that remained of the Moon Palace, the home of the royalty of the moon elves.

The building had been rarely used after the assassination of the king and queen, and had never been used since the disappearance of Estes. Now, it was the only building that had survived the war.

Miya and Nana had reached Arelia after two hours of travel in the morning. Judging by the sun, Miya figured that noon would occur in an hour or so. They had just reached Silvania, the largest city of the Moon Empire- now the only city left in Arelia that housed Moon Elves.

The two made their way to the Moon Palace, for all elves who had survived the war had used the palace as a shelter. Miya walked right through the entrance, the crystal blue door had long shattered in the war.

She was met with a sea of white, and she smiled softly as she watched her kin from the hallway. The entrance hall had been turned into a dining area, and they were currently serving mid-day meals on a buffet-like table that ran down the hall. Miya recognized the table as the royal dining table. She laughed inwardly, as it had been turned into a mess of whitewood and splinters- but was still a table.

"So many people," Nana whispered from below her, and Miya nodded automatically, clutching Nana's hand.

So many people, Nana had said. Miya remembered when the whole population had gathered in Silvania, the masses of people and crowds, the sheer enormity of their race. "Not really," Miya replied. She saddened slightly, features softening. "This is barely one tenth of our population."

Nana fell silent.

Miya didn't know how long she stood there, as the chit-chat of the adults and the laughing games of the children were so overpowering compared to the duo. She stood there, looking around, seeing her eyes in others, her hair in others, her skin in others because this was her _family._

One of the elven children, engrossed in a game of clapping with her friend, had looked up momentarily and locked eyes with Miya's. Miya had broken the connection quickly, but it was enough for the child to recognize her people's war hero.

"It's Miya!"

The small voice had a big impact. Immediately, people started whispering to their friends and those close to them, and Miya flushed a dusty rose when she heard her name echoed around the room with the gossip.

Everything paused, except for a sliver of white-grey hair, who had flickered her way from the back to the front in seconds.

Miya felt her hand ripped from Nana's, as arms were flung around her neck with such force that Miya took a step back.

Neshya, Miya's best friend, sobbed into Miya's shoulder as Miya wrapped her arms around her friend, her sister and laughed with joy.

Gradually, the room refilled with noise and chatter on a slightly higher note, and Miya released the girl, smiling as Neshya laughed.

"Miya," Neshya said, and almost started crying again much to Miya's amusement. "It's really you! And you're safe, and-"

"Neshya, I-"

"-you're still as beautiful as ever, girl. I'm glad those looks didn't-"

"Nesh-"

"-fade while I was gone, because-"

"Neshya, I failed."

The blue eyed girl blinked at Miya. "W-What do you mean?" Neshya said, and Miya cast her gaze down, saddened.

"I think that deep down you _know_ what I mean," said Miya, refusing to look at her sister- afraid to see the disappointment, the _anger_ , the sadness.

 _The sadness._

"Can we- can we go upstairs?" Neshya asked, her voice losing its confident tone. "I don't want them to hear," she said, gesturing to the public. "We owe the that much," she whispered.

Miya looked to Nana, who nodded back with an unusually serious expression. "I'll stay here," said Nana. "I'll be fine, Miss Miya."

"Thank you Nana," whispered Miya, and she followed Neshya through the mix of white hair and blue-violet eyes. They went up the blue glass staircase positioned at the end of the room, scaling it at two steps a time, before arriving at the second floor.

The second floor, Miya observed, had been made into a hospital. Neshya weaved through the crowd with precision, while Miya stumbled through the claustrophobic mess. They finally reached the end of the room, where Neshya made a right and into a small bedroom, one of the old servant dwellings.

"This is the room I've been using," Neshya explained, and Miya could see the marks her friend had left on the place. Books, everywhere- both Neshya and Miya loved to read- and a rumpled sleeping bag on the floor.

Neshya sat down onto the sleeping bag, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's true, then," Neshya said. They were alone, and were both free to break free of the strong facades they had worn for years.

Miya sat next to her, pulling her quiver off her shoulder and resting it on the floor along with her bow. "It's true. Lorean trackers say that Estes is at the pit of despair. He could still be alive, but…"

Admitting it to herself was a milestone in Miya's mind. She had spent the last few days in denial, not wanting to believe in the worst. Saying it aloud just…hurt.

"Innocent people," Neshya murmured. "Maybe we deserve it, Miya, but they don't. We've just won the war after so long and _now,_ " she cried, her sniffles turning into sobs with each word.

"You need to save them, Miya," Neshya was crying, shaking her friend's shoulders with her pale hands. Her blue eyes dug into Miya's own. "You must! I don't… I don't _want to die,_ " she sobbed, and Miya pulled Neshya into her chest, a hug from sister to sister. "It may seem selfish," Neshya continued, sniffling, "but _not yet!_ We can't… _we can't_ …" Neshya's cries trailed off as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Hush," Miya whispered, until her sister's cries were no more. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"No," Neshya hissed, and Miya glanced sharply at the sudden change in demeanour. "You have the power Miya, use it! If not what for? The Moon herself has deemed you worthy and you sit here and do _nothing?!_ If a coward is the one who has been blessed with the Moon's power, then, _Moon forgive me_ , she has chosen the wrong person worthy of her power!"

Her words struck a chord on Miya's heartstrings. She felt anger for being called a coward, (Miya despised cowardly creatures) and sadness because she knew her friend was right.

 _I'm not worthy._

"I know," Miya murmured, and Neshya turned so fast her neck nearly snapped. "I know I'm not worthy. I'm a _coward_ with a god's power."

"But you _have the power_ ," Neshya pressed pleadingly. "Regardless whether you're brave, you're cowardly- you _have the power_ , Miya. And sometimes learning to use it is the same as not being scared of it."

"I know," said Miya. "I know."

"What do you have to lose?" exclaimed Neshya. "You said there was a chance, _a chance_ Estes was alive. And if he is, Miya, so many people would be saved," she said, and Miya shook her head.

"I know," hissed Miya. "I've thought about it, Neshya. But he can't be. The Pit of Despair is where they keep the souls of the dead. If Estes is there-"

Neshya shook her head with fever. "No!" she exclaimed. "Lorean trackers track signals of life, magic power- chakra! If they got the signal that Estes was at the pit, that means Estes is alive!"

Miya let Neshya finish her optimistic tangent before shutting down her dreams. "No," she said, and Neshya opened her mouth to contradict, but Miya held a hand up to stop it. "Dead bodies have life force too. The life force is not in use, but _it's still there_. Life force disappears when the soul is taken to heaven," Miya explained. "That doesn't mean anything. It just means his body is there."

The younger girl fell silent. "Can you try?"

"Try what?"

"Just go there," Neshya whispered. "Just see. Be sure that he's not-" her voice cracked, and she swallowed. "And if he is at least bring the body back," she whispered. "He deserves that."

" _No_!" exclaimed Miya. "I will not drag a body half way across the Land of Dawn."

"Then _I_ will."

"You will not do anything of the sorts. You can _barely_ use a bow."

"You don't need to drag a person that's alive."

Miya sighed. "Neshya, Estes is dead."

"You don't know that."

Miya fell silent, refusing to rebuke Neshya's stubborn thoughts. "No, I don't for certain. But I know enough to make a wise decision."

"But what if he is, Miya? What if he is?"

Miya grasped her bow by the bowstring and flicked it into her hand. She pulled the quiver back onto her shoulder and stood up.

"Miya, please. _What if he's alive?"_ Neshya whispered, her voice growing weaker. "Please,"

The moonlight archer closed her eyes, and let a sigh escape her mouth before replying.

"Fine."

III

 _The Next Morning_

There was still one more place she had to visit.

Miya set off at hours before dawn, while the moon was still out to see the shattered city. She made her way through the silver buildings, towards Lake Ashyyr. Nearer to the lake, the dense buildings graduall dispersed and faded into the woods.

Griping her bow tighter in her already clenched fist, Miya made her way through the woods following the path that had been worn by other martyrs like her who came this way. The treetop canopy seemed lower, (or had she grown taller?) because it had been so long since she had last visited the Moon Temple.

When the trees finally cleared, a colossal aquamarine structure stood in front of her, its entirety still intact. She stood in silence, watching the temple in its enormity- as its not-shattered windows reflected the moon's beautiful white light. The temple had remained untouched and unused during the war, its pristine glory still intact.

The large platinum doors were still intact, to Miya's relief and satisfaction. This building had been her home in her childhood years, its large stage presence a guardian to her. She pushed against the doors, and frowned when they didn't budge under her effort.

She added a steel covered toe to the weight, and finally the doors creaked under her weight and opened. Miya stumbled in, surprised by the quick surrender of the old metal.

The insides were dark, even though the pointed glass roof of the inner room let the moonlight into the room. This was the prayer room, Miya remembered, her thoughts heavy with emotion and memory. She remembered as she and other young girls like her at the time had gathered and cast their thoughts and dreams to the moon late at night.

Miya had worked hard in her studies. At a young age, she and her classmates had worked to prove themselves worthy as a sacrifice to the Moon.

To the temple, sacrifice did not mean death. It meant moving on, enlightenment- the one chosen was promised to live in the true Moon Temple on the moon, at the side of their beloved Moon God.

She summoned energy to her palm, just like her younger self had done when she had sat here, in this very spot, and prayed. The blue-white flames had licked her fingertips both now and then, casting shadows on the intricately carved walls of the praying room.

In a trance, Miya kneeled on the cushions that served as braces on the ground. She held out her flame-covered hand to the statue in the centre of the room.

She bowed her head, flickered her indigo eyes closed, her eyelashes casting shadows onto her face in the presence of the light.

"Accept my offering," Miya whispered to the moon, and the flames in her hand instantly were snuffed out by the darkness.

She brought both hands to her chest, clasping her palms together under her chin. She rested her head on her interlocked fingers, as she had done many times before.

During the war, Miya had run here in the thick of the battle, slamming open the doors and stepping into the eerily quiet room. She had prayed, and to her astonishment the moon had answered her call.

She was back here again. Instead, she came after the bloodshed, after the war.

And so Miya talked. She talked to the darkness and to the moon in hope someone would listen to her selfish desires and innermost feelings. She told of the war and its ending, the fate of her people, and she spoke and cried at once like she had never before.

"I'm heading off tomorrow," she murmured, concluding, her tears now dry and her eyes still closed. She rose from her seat, and opened her eyes to the darkness once more. The moon shone as brightly as it did always, and Miya allowed herself a smile.

" _Look after them for me,"_ she whispered to the moon.

And with that, she picked up her bow and with a twist of her heel, she vanished into the darkness.

III

 _Morning_

The next morning, she gathered her little belongings and set off to meet Nana.

Nana had settled in quite well, making other elven friends too- one being the girl who had spotted Miya in the hall. The pinkette brightened mid-conversation with her friend, grinning at Miya.

"Miss Miya!" Nana exclaimed, excusing herself from her friend with an apologetic expression. Her friend smiled in understanding.

Excused, Nana bounded over to her mentor. "I haven't seen you in ages," the cat elf mage gushed, throwing her arms around Miya's waist. Miya smiled softly, her stomach churning with sadness and regret.

"Sorry," Miya murmured. Nana, realising her teacher's change in mood, wilted a little, before speaking.

"What's wrong?"

Miya sighed, ready to speak the sentence that would crush her apprentice. "Nana… I need to leave. Neshya has me promised to go-"

Nana jolted, eyes wide. "Go where?" She demanded. "Wherever you're going, I'm going too."

"Nana, no," Miya pressed soothingly. She knew the girl was persistent, and while it was one of Nana's many good qualities, when used against you it was a nightmare. When the mage opened her mouth to retort, Miya hushed her with a finger. "Hear me out, please."

The feline pouted, before nodding.

Miya continued. "Neshya has me going to the Pit of Despair," she said. Nana's eyes widened, but she kept her mouth shut. "And we both know that we could die if we enter the Pit-"

"So why are you going?" Nana questioned, demandingly. "You shouldn't go if your life is at risk, Miss Miya. I know you're smart, Miss Miya, but that's not wise of you! Sorry," Nana added as an afterthought.

Miya smiled at her. "Well," she said. "That's the point. I'm going to die anyway," she admitted slowly. Miya didn't like saying it aloud, and she appreciated that the rest of her kin ignored the dark month to the best of the ability. "And if I don't die there, I'll still die anyway, right? And you're not going to die. At least not yet, Nana. That's why you can't go," she pressed, looking at the cat elf mage. "Tell me you understand," murmured Miya, kneeling and clasping the mage's hands between her own.

"I don't," Nana said honestly and they both laughed softly. "But I trust that you made the right decisions, Miss Miya. You always do," she whispered.

She broke into a smile, and with happiness contagious, she saw Nana smile too. She hugged the girl, ruffling her ears and hair. "Goodbye, darling," she whispered, and her heart throbbed when she heard Nana choke back a tear.

"Goodbye Miss Miya," Nana murmured back, a watery grin making its way to her face even in her sadness. "Good luck."

Miya didn't respond. She stood, giving Nana one last look before heading out the door. Her heart clenched in guilt, but Miya knew that the next word she uttered would be accompanied by tears.

So instead, she hid them away and walked out of her home for the second time.

III

 _Two Weeks Later_

She frowned at the map, as the road she was on went straight off the map's right. She had purchased the map and several supplies (she now had money that she collected at Arelia) at a small mining village on the way to Khastrion.

Khastrion was the area around the Pit of Despair, and few people these days referred to it by its given name. Now, it was simply _the wastelands_ , dubbed because of the horrific state of the land.

Thousands of moons ago Khastrion had been a populous city that housed the ethereal Valkyries- angel like creatures with powers that rivalled the elven civilisation. But their peace was ruined when a meteor fell from the sky and destroyed the city, leaving nothing but wasteland behind in the place of their beautiful golden cities.

Now, the Valkyries that had survived the strike worked as war angels, angels of death instead of angels of life, forever mourning the lives that had been lost in that other-worldly attack. They would take the souls of war heroes and reunite them with their bodies, giving them the kiss of death before guiding them to the afterlife.

While only victims of war were given the kiss- all bodies of any dead person would find its way to the Pit of Despair. The pit was the only way to the afterlife, and while the Valkyries took care of war victims, family of the passed would take the deceased body to the pit for safe passage to the afterlife.

Finding her spot on the map, Miya established her surroundings and headed left. The rainforests had given way to barren grey dirt and sand, with the occasional shard of iron from the meteor. She covered her nose with her hand, as the toxic fumes of the destructed land filled her nostrils.

Still, Miya pushed on. When finally grey smoke gave way to a dark green, Miya found she could breathe again in the green smoke. She tried to wave it away, but the green never dispersed, only seeming to become more solid.

Lost in the smoke, she cried out, turning it circles to try and make something, anything out of her surroundings. Everything was just dark, green and-

A hand snapped around her left wrist, and another hand pushed her from behind, leading her somewhere. She couldn't see anything, but the glint of metal and black wings told her that the hands belonged to Valkyries.

They walked for minutes, Miya lost, and the other two confident in their stride as they lead the way. The smoke cleared and Miya blinked to see a large hole in the ground, surrounded by armoured Valkyries, all clad in the same grey armour.

She looked at her two saviours, who had released Miya's wrists once she could see again. She looked back, and to her surprise, the green mist was gone.

"Those who have visited the pit once before do not experience the illusion," one of the Valkyries explained, noticing her confusion. "That is why you could see the smoke then, and we did not experience such affects."

She nodded. The Valkyrie who had just spoke had long blonde-gold hair, a stark contrast to her dull armour. The other had equally vibrant short red hair. Both had stark aquamarine eyes.

"What brings you to the Pit of Despair, Miya Estella?" The redhead questioned, her tone sultry and low.

"I seek my ruler."

They clearly knew who she was, and Miya assumed they knew of whom she was referring to. Both Valkyries glanced at each other, before the blonde quickly walked away.

"Follow," the redhead intoned, as they both walked after the blonde-haired Valkyrie. Miya complied, not liking the orders, but holding her tongue in the presence of the owners of this land.

"What's your name?" Miya questioned, when it was clear the redhead would not reveal without being asked first.

The Valkyrie blinked for a second, hesitating before she replied. "Andrea," she said. "And that is my partner, Stella." Miya nodded in thanks, though her mind was already wandering.

She watched as they walked through the barren fields. The redhead turned, and stopped Miya's pace with a hand. "He's _here_ ," the redhead whispered softly, and Miya felt her insides turn to ice as she froze in shock.

 _No._

She couldn't believe her, she shouldn't, she _wouldn't._ But Valkyries could not lie, she told herself, and Miya closed her eyes, a forbidden smile edging its way into her cheeks.

 _She didn't say in what state,_ her mind reminded her. _He could be here, but dead._

Miya stiffened with the realisation, snapping her eyes open, refusing to be optimistic. Optimism did not win wars, and it certainly didn't help. She shut her emotions, and walked. Together they walked into seemingly nothing, when the Andrea stopped. She looked at the blonde, and they both muttered words under their breath, which cancelled the illusion.

Where had just been nothing was now a large ebony tower, with an oak door as the entrance.

"Inside," Stella gestured to them both. Andrea entered first, before Miya followed in soon after, Stella taking the rear and closing the door behind them

Andrea headed up the staircase directly opposite the cramped first floor, and Miya looked to follow when she was stopped by the blonde Valkyrie. "No," Stella intoned. "She is asking permission from our leader."

The two waited in silence, and Miya took the moment to look at her surroundings. The area of the only room on this level was very small- Miya suspected that the tower only had one room on each level, the staircase connecting them all.

There was a sense of royalty in the room, with its dark floors with light walls. A red carpet stood out richly against the backdrop. The only item in the room was a bookshelf to the far right against the wall, while the staircase took up most of the room.

Red flickered back into the room in the form of Andrea, who nodded briefly before heading back up. Stella gestured for her to follow, and Miya did so, the two climbing the staircase in single file.

They went past the second floor, third, fourth, fifth- when Stella finally stopped at the last floor, the ninth. Miya's legs were cramped from the excessive amount of walking.

Opposite the mahogany staircase, there was another room, blocked off with a door. Stationed outside the wooden door was a Valkyrie dressed in the most stunning gold armour.

As Andrea talked to the golden Valkyrie, Miya took the opportunity to ask Stella about the golden Valkyrie. "Why does she wear gold?" she asked, watching as Stella's perfect features turned dark.

"Freya is foolish," Stella replied icily. "She wears the colours of our fallen kingdom in hope that one day it will return. She hopes in vain," the blonde said darkly.

In that way, Freya and Neshya were alike, Miya thought. They both believed that something dead could be resurrected.

 _And Neshya was right,_ her subconscious hissed. _And maybe so is Freya._

She watched as Freya, ice in her dark eyes, glared, before stepping aside. Andrea smirked in satisfaction. "Go, Miss Estella," Andrea said. "Freya will take you."

Miya nodded, as the two grey Valkyries left the floor. She found herself in the gaze of the golden Valkyrie. Freya had long straight blue hair, with piercing dark blue eyes. The Valkyrie turned abruptly, and swung open the door.

When it was clear that Freya would not enter the room, Miya took it upon herself to enter. The room was dark and seemingly spacious, with no objects but a large, glowing blue crystal.

The crystal was as tall as the floor to the ceiling and uncut- its jagged spikes reaching everywhere in the room. Miya felt her breath stop when she realised there was a figure inside the crystal, _frozen_ within the aquamarine hues.

" _Estes,"_ Miya sobbed with realisation, the overpowering emotion that came with it was too strong to hold. She felt her knees buckle and she pressed her hands to the crystal for support. The crystal was warm, radiating with an unearthly blue light that lit the room.

 _I told you so,_ she heard Neshya whisper within her mind, and Miya shook the thought of her jeering friend away. She wasn't a failure. He was _alive._

 _Alive, alive, alive, alive_ _ **alive.**_

"Thank _god_ ," Miya whispered, feeling her eyes sting with tears. If she could see the moon now, she would thank it. Thank it for keeping her people alive.

Estes' form was suspended in the crystal, like he had been frozen in ice, as his pale white-gold hair fanned out behind his face as if underwater. He was clothed in a dark blue satin attire.

Miya held her fingers out to the crystal, reaching for someone who was frozen solid and could not reach back. "What happened to him," she whispered, refusing to take her eyes off of the prince, the _king_.

She knew Freya was watching her display of emotion from the doorway.

"We found him injured severely in the perimeters of our land," the golden Valkyrie replied. "We froze him within a healing crystal to speed his recovery, but when his wounds were healed, and we were to break him out of the crystal, the crystal would not shatter."

" _Why?"_

Freya sighed heavily. "We suspected his own power was keeping his body within the crystal," said the Valkyrie. "We do not know for sure."

She nodded, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

The two women waited in silence. Miya sat as close to the crystal as she could without hurting herself on one of the spikes, and Freya leaned against the doorway, shield in hand.

"Why do you hope," Miya asked dully, as the two continued to gaze in silence at the crystal.

"Why don't _you_ have hope, Miss Estella?"

Miya didn't respond.

Freya sighed, (which she did a lot, Miya noticed) and spoke. "I hope because without hope, we cannot dream. If we do not dream, we live in the past, dwell in the past. Instead of morning, we should forgive. Instead of regretting, we should learn and move on. That is why I have hope, Miya."

"Hope," Miya echoed. What a strange thing to feel. Hope had no certainty, no finality- it was a dream balanced on a tightrope ready to topple over and fall.

"What magic do the Valkyries use?" Miya asked into the awkward silence, curious. She knew little about the angels of the deceased, only hearing their name and duty from legend and rumours. "Forgive me; I know little about your kind."

"Forgiven," Freya replied simply. "Not many ever come here. The only ones that do are those who are driven insane with grief from losing their loved ones; and come here to see if they still live. A pointless task," Freya sighed. "We have man abilities," she continued on, answering her question. "As Valkyries, we of course have wings- though we usually hide them when not in use. Our wings are not solid, they are like an aura, and fade after too much strain on the body. Do you mind if I ask about your people, Miss Estella?"

"Miya is fine," she replied. "I use magic, even though when I fight I do not fight with magic power as most of my kin do. I use my magic to summon objects, like arrows encased with magic power, and the damage dealt is purely physical power, only enhanced by my magic. We moon elves are heavy magic users," Miya said. "The royal family," she gestured at Estes, "is said to have the highest amount of moon-magic of our kind."

The royal family of the Moon Elves had risen to power and were the leaders of their race due to their bloodline. Estes and his ancestors had a special ability to turn magic into healing power, and were therefore invincible in any fight due to their quick regeneration.

"You use the same magic as him?" The Valkyrie questioned, jabbing a finger at Estes.

Miya nodded.

"His own power is keeping him within the crystal- if you use your own power to release his hold on the crystal; we could break him out," Freya thought aloud. She turned to Miya quickly, her blue hair fanning out behind her. "Could you try?"

Miya could use magic to some extent, but not as well as the high mages back in Arelia. She wished Neshya were here- her friend had an enormous affinity for magic, while Miya had nearly none and stuck to her bow and arrow.

"I am no mage," Miya warned, standing up and pressing her fingers against the blue stone. "But I will try. _For his sake_ ," she whispered, gazing at the king.

 _Moon God, lend me your power_ , she whispered into the recesses of her mind. _Give me your strength to free my king._

She almost sighed in relief as the blue glow lit her fingers in the form of moon-magic. The white light shone brightly against the dully lit room, sending streaks of shadow around the room as well as diamond shaped fractures of light from the crystal.

She pressed the energy against the glass, willing it to seep into the material and become the crystal-She watched as cracks as small as an eyelash started to form into the crystal. Miya pulled her hand from the jewel, horrified and worried as even larger cracks spiralled out from the epicentre- where Miya's hand was moment before.

"No, keep going," Freya urged, the Valkyrie now at Miya's side, willing her to continue the process. "If the crystal breaks, he will be _free_!"

Miya pressed her palm to the glass-like surface once more, watching as the cracks dug deep into the crystal, one deep enough to reach the body within it. The white light seeped around Estes's form, causing the crystal to shatter from within.

"Quick, take cover," Freya whispered, as the glass became larger and sharper. Miya winced as a large fragment lodged itself into the palm of her hand with the moonlight.

" _No_ ," Miya snarled, gritting her teeth as she pushed the light into the crystal, causing violent crack to sound. "I need… to keep… _going._ "

"No!" Freya warned. "The glass will break and shatter by itself, Miya! You've done enough." With that, the Valkyrie ripped Miya's palm off the crystal, pulling her into the corner of the room. Freya pulled her shield out as a vortex of flying glass spiralled around the Moon King, the remnants of the crystal finally breaking in half.

Miya crouched behind the shield with Freya, hearing a dull thud as all the glass in the air dropped to the floor in a symphony that sounded like the breaking of a chandelier. The two peered out from behind the safety of Freya's golden shield.

A body lay on the ground, in a bed of broken quartz.

Miya gasped, running towards Estes, and pulling him off the fragments of the glass which he had slept in for so long. "Freya, help me," she called urgently, and the two carried the body off the remains of the crystal, and into a corner of the room.

Estes hadn't stirred, though Miya had noticed his eyelids had moved slightly. She leaned him against the wall of the room of his prison, brushing the long strands of silver hair out of his eyes.

"I'll get help," Freya muttered, ethereal angel wings spreading out from behind her. She closed her eyes and vanished in a swirl of golden light.

She dusted the shards of translucent blue off his form, not noticing once the state that she was in. The moonlight archer was focused on her king, because his safety came above hers any day.

It was because of him, that she could live again.

She watched as Estes slowly blinked. Once, twice, until his vision cleared and he gazed into Miya's face for moments before the eyes slowly closed once again.

For the second time, eyes the same colour as the moon snapped open.

Estes was awake.

III

 **-End Part II-**

 **( to be continued )**

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 **endnote.** you guys nearly made me cry with the beautiful comments. I love you all. :D Please, keep it up! Writing this was easy knowing that there were so many people who wanted me to finish this and keep up the 'good writing' (hah my writing, _good_? Lol). You all were my inspirations for this chapter. I hope it meets your expectations!

 **Important!** I did say that this fic would only be two chapters long, but after planning and writing the chapter, I realised two wasn't enough to squish all the plot scenes in. there will be another one or maybe two chapters after this one. if I keep getting plot bunnies, I'll make this a fully-fledged multi-chapter story. **please tell me your opinion on this, whether you want this to be a long story or short one, because I'll get planning!** Currently though, this story will end at chapter four. complete with epilogue.

 **review replies. thanks all for reviewing!**

 **Winadina:** I'm guessing third after Lancelot X Odette and Hayabusa X Kagura, right? Right…? I hope you enjoy this fic regardless of it not being about your first favourite pairing! Happy reading :D Thanks for your review!

 **Tomafia:** Thank you for your praise! I don't deserve it though xD I'm just a writer trying to entertain myself and others on this site. I'm so glad you like this story so much, though I don't think it's the best ML fanfiction out there. XD Thanks for your review!

 **Missing Middle:** Thank you so much for your kind words and praise. As an author that means a lot to hear someone compliment your writing style and not the contents of your writing. It really means a lot. Though of course, there are many areas I could improve one, but I hope to keep my writing as close to perfect as a can. Though it'll never be perfect. xD Thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope it was up to your standards!

 **The Sleeping Zombie:** And here's the update you wanted! I hope it was to your liking. And yes, of course, the new hero Gossen. We'll worry about him once he's released on the normal sever. I really don't want to fight him in the future XD Thank you for your compliments, and I'm glad I've found another ranged hero buddy! I'm assuming you like Lesley, then. I certainly love her play style. :DThank you for your review!

 **chounojou:** I'm serious when I say that your review almost made me cry. I think all writers on this site want someone like you to come by their story and drop a few words that mean so much. I'm hoping I lived up to your expectations for this chapter. I tried to make it as good as I could for you. :D I'm sorry that the Mestes interaction will be held off for another chapter, but it will be coming to hit you like a truck in the next chapters. Thank you SO much for your review. Love, silverdiadems.

 **mayu masamune** i was pleasantly surprised by your review yesterday! And yes, I definitely know what you mean xD I'm glad you seem to like Alucard's character, though he won't be featured as much as the first chapter. He'll return for a cameo appearance in maybe chapter four? or three. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Thank you for your review!

 **Thanks for Reading, as always. Love you all. Keep up the awesome feedback please! XD**

 **a/n.** thoughts on this chapter: you guys need to understand that Nana is a very hard character to write. She doesn't smile, she GRINS. She's so optimistic her scenes make me cringe while writing them. I think that definitely you can see (or will see) her growth throughout the story. and i'm really struggling with estes in chapter three. he's so hard to write because he's the exact opposite of nana- cold yet warm, uncaring yet caring. it's strange.

 **The Mobile Legends FanFiction Community is small, so any feedback in the form of reviews (!) or alerts is deeply appreciated. Without feedback, an author cannot know what he/she is doing wrong. (or right). Please report spelling or grammatical errors. Arigatou!**

[player _silverdiadems_ has logged out]

シルバーダイアデム


	3. Repurcussion

silverdiadems presents

 **My Queen**

a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fanfiction

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise** Mobile Legends. **This is a piece of fiction written based on the game, but is not canon or officially tied to the game's lore in any way. The right to the franchise belongs solely to Moonton.**

* * *

 _Part III:_

 _Repercussion_

Darkness, darkness. He'd been with the darkness so long that he could safely call it his friend.

The darkness was all he had ever known. But there had been things before the darkness; light, memory, people. He remembered the night when he was a boy and someone had burst into the room, knife held to the young prince's neck.

He had woken up to the armoured angels, the _Valkyries_ , he corrected himself, putting image to name. For moments, he saw faces, but his vision turned red with delirium, and he forced his eyes shut, meeting the darkness for the second time.

He was nothing in the land of the dark- the land he envisioned behind his closed eyelids. There was nobody, no people, no _nothing_ , just an empty thought and mind, an intangible being that bore no body, just a mind.

But then, in the darkness there was _light_. Light, beautiful light– with light there was colour, existence. Something corporeal in a world of spirits.

Words, garbled words could be heard, even though Estes could not place where the sound had originated. He spun around in his spiritual form, searching for the sound that had given with it the light.

 _I….need…to…keep...going!_

A female voice rang loud and true into his mind, and he heard garbled conversation and a scream before his ears popped and his feelings returned.

Light burst into his vision, as he felt his arms and legs and body for the first time. His muscles weakened, his knees buckled underneath him, and he collapsed onto the ground, which only contained sharpsharpsharp pain that dug into his cheeks and hands.

The world was so loud, he thought. He could hear the shocked yet relieved cry of the female with the light, and the muted murmur from her accomplice. He felt himself slipping away, back into his mind, as he slipped into unconsciousness for the second time.

He awoke seemingly seconds later, blinking as his vision was blurry and unfocused. A face, he could see a face. His control slipped and he felt himself falling back into his mind when suddenly all the darkness disappeared, all the fatigue, pain, weakness- gone.

His eyes snapped open.

He saw a female, a _pretty_ female, his conscious told him, and he frowned at himself for thinking so. She had an angular face; sharp cheekbones with dusty pink accents on her cheeks. She had aquamarine blue eyes, which flickered purple sometimes in the wrong light, and hair just like his secured in a ponytail behind her.

But most importantly, her ears. Her ears were sharp and pointed just like his own, which confirmed his suspicion- this girl was a moon elf. She seemed worried and muttered something under her breath, which sounded like nothing to his distorted senses.

"Estes?" She questioned quietly to someone, to _him_ , he realised. The word on her tongue had made him remember. He was Estes. He was the prince- no, the _king_ , he thought bitterly, remembering the deaths of his father and mother that wretched night.

The girl's voice lingered in his mind before he could place where he had heard it before. Her voice, soft now in worry had been harsh and determined moments before. Ah. That was it.

"You were the light."

She looked confused; flushing and darting her eyes to the door every now and then, waiting for her companion to return. The one who looked like living gold, he remembered. The Valkyrie.

"Light?" she echoed after some time. Estes frowned minutely at her confusion.

"You freed me."

Now she looked knowledgeable, nodding as realisation hit with his clearer statement. "Yes, I- _your majesty_ ," the moon elf replied flushing a little at her stumble. She stood up to clear the ground a little of the broken glass. Estes noticed the glass was everywhere in the room except for the corners, ranging in large chunks to smaller fragments that still dusted his cheeks. He frowned. Why was there so much shattered glass?

She kicked it into the centre of the room in a semi-neat circle and she sat in front of him, the floor now clear of the hazardous material. She kept staring, he noticed, as every now and then she would look up and stare at the moon king until she got caught when he looked in her direction. She'd flush, duck her head, and then do it all over again.

"You're nervous," he commented, and the female snapped her gaze to his, her eyes narrowed slightly. They seemed to relax when she processed his words, before giving an answer of her own.

"Yes," she admitted. "It had been far too long since I have interacted with royalty of my race; I fear I don't know how to address you, or how to speak to you."

Ah. That was it. "Estes is fine," he said simply. "I do not expected to be called king after being absent for so long. And you have saved me, so, you have my eternal gratitude."

She stared a little, before nodding. "Yes… _Estes_ ," she corrected herself before she slipped. "I am Miya Estella. You may call me Miya."

He nodded, looking as the door burst open with three Valkyries- the gold, the red, and the blonde. Miya stood up to greet them, and Estes had felt strangely inferior as he was left alone on the floor, powerless to move or do anything.

The four women conversed in a hushed conversation, before the dispersed when Miya and the blonde one vanished out the door. Estes felt lonely in the fact that he did not know anyone else in the absence of Miya. Her familiar face had been comforting.

"Can you stand?" the golden one questioned, her figure towering above him from his position on the floor.

"I am unsure," he replied honestly, and after a moment's hesitation, she stuck out her hand, which was naked of any gold armour unlike the rest of her body. He grasped it, and felt the warriors' tight grip as she pulled him to his feet in one swift motion.

She let go of his hand as they made their way out of the room. She stood close by, just in case he stumbled, as Estes gritted his teeth as they walked down the staircase that seemed to spiral down forever. He disliked the amount of attention he was receiving- he was a king, not some injured incapable peasant.

Miya reappeared again much to his relief, and the Valkyrie walked over to her quickly, gesturing for Estes to follow.

"In his condition, It would be best we teleport," the Valkyrie was saying. "You can make most of the way yourself, but I think it would be best if I took Estes with me."

"Thank you, Freya," Miya said, naming the golden Valkyrie while expressing her thanks. "I'll meet you there." The moon elf left the room, following the other two Valkyries.

"Take my arm," Freya instructed. "This may feel weird, but do not even think about letting go," she warned in a deadly tone. "You will get lost in the space-time abyss if you do, so I suggest _you do as I say,_ " she hissed.

Estes said nothing, and gripped Freya's hand. The Valkyrie held his in a bone-crushing grip, as she muttered a few words while the two of them were engulfed in a bright gold light.

He felt his heart leap into his throat before they vanished into thin air, leaving a swirl of golden feathers in their wake.

III

 _Miya_

She was led by Andrea and Stella towards another tower in the distance, this one much larger than the one Estes had been contained in. They made their way inside, and to Miya's surprise there was no staircase.

"We need to teleport up," Stella said as the reached the lobby. "This place is designed so that only Valkyries have access to the upper rooms- but we will make an exception for you."

Stella walked over to the desk in the empty lobby, going to the other side of the counter, and pulling out a key. "For electricity," she supplied, handing the key to Miya, which she took gratefully. "There will be a few rooms with electricity where you are staying."

Miya nodded. The Valkyries' hospitality would not be forgotten by her kind, for they had saved their ruler and leant them their home. The blond extended a hand to Miya, and Miya took the hand with anticipation.

Stella's spirit-like wings unfurled, and Miya felt her stomach jump as the plummeted through space. The experience felt like falling- except there was no ground underneath them to stop their fall. The gold light cleared, and Miya felt her feet touch the ground. The Valkyrie let go of her hand, and Miya realised she was in some sort of guest room.

The room had above average furnishings- the colour scheme being white and grey with magnificent highlights of gold. She glanced back at Stella, to find the Valkyrie had already teleported out.

There were no windows to look outside at the view ( _what view, she snorted)_ or the outside of the tower. She could understand, living in the middle of the wasteland and not exactly thrilling the idea at looking at the damaged environment more than usual.

The first room was a lounge and twin beds, and another room was on the right, behind a bend which Miya couldn't see. She walked into the room, revealing a kitchen. At the counter was Estes, who had just put a pot of water atop the blazing fire in the fireplace. "Tea?" the king questioned wryly, as he pointed to the mugs atop the counter.

"Sure," Miya shrugged, and she moved to the counter to spoon out the tea leaves from their respective jars in the shelves to the side of the bench. "What type?"

"Rooibos," the king replied, and Miya raised a brow at the name. Rooibos was an exotic tea found in most southern countries. She glanced at all the jars before reaching to the back and pulled out the one marked with the name of Estes' favourite tea.

She also took out the jar of green tea leaves, dipping the silver spoon in and dumping the leaves into the mugs. She did the same with the other, except using Rooibos instead of Green tea leaves.

Estes, who had been watching the boiling water, stood and, using a towel, took the kettle from the fire, and placed it on the counter.

"I'll snuff the flames," Miya murmured, hearing Estes pour the boiling water behind her. She bent by the fire and summoned energy to her palm. She pushed it towards the fire, sucking the oxygen out of the flame until it lost its fuel source and died, leaving only smoke in its wake. Waving the smoke out of her face, she coughed as her eyes watered until the smoke cleared.

She stood back up, turning, when Estes pointed a spoon at her.

"Sugar?" he questioned.

"No thanks," Miya replied, taking the spoon and mug from Estes. He shrugged, as she stirred the cup absentmindedly, watching the leaves slowly float to the bottom.

"Honey?" she asked, gesturing to the pot.

"No."

Miya sighed; he wasn't very good at conversation, _was he?_ "Come," she motioned at the couch with her mug. "You have some catching up to do."

Estes blinked, and went after her.

III

It had been fun, in an insane sort of way, to talk about the war.

The conversation had been, still was, _nice_ , Miya mused to herself, as she sipped the dregs of her tea. The two had really hit it off, she supposed. Estes' dry remarks were quite entertaining.

She had told the story from the beginning- the disappearances of the noble families to the climax, the war itself. She had spoken of the fear which had been ignited in the people before the war, the locked doors, the windows nailed shut.

For Miya, the time before the war had been the worst. During the war, there was certainty of your enemy, and at least you had knowledge of your situation, you knew what was happening, you knew there was a war going on. Before was worse, full of doubt, as the people fretted nervously because _no one wanted to go to war_. Before the war, there was chaos everywhere- who to trust, who to kill, who to blame.

She had been young then, and still remembered the night when her parents (who had been nobles) had been assassinated in the night alongside their fellow upper class members by a monster of the night.

The first signs of the war had been these assassinations. Estes had nodded his head when she mentioned them, for he too had been around when they had happened. The deaths of the upper class had been a warning- before Alice targeted the crown, which she did weeks later.

If the already numerous deaths hadn't frightened the people, the death and kidnapping of the royals had. The royal family- seemingly immortal in their grace and benevolence had been killed with one strike in the silent night.

With silence as her only witness, Alice had managed to turn an organised, peaceful city into a war zone.

She spoke of the battlefield and Alice's death. Of rebuilding, rebirth and the joy of the people as doubt finally cleared, and the grass was no longer stained crimson with bloodshed. Miya told Estes of the poppies which had sprouted on the battlefield, poppies of a vibrant red which used the blood of the wounded to grow.

"Rebuilding is hard," she had said reluctantly as they discussed the aftermath of the bloodshed. "But I think we're getting there. You'll be pleased to hear that Moon Palace is still intact."

But Estes had frowned and shook his head. "I care not for sentiments," he had said. "I only care about the lives of my people."

Miya nodded in approval. "You'll be a great king," she murmured. "I know it."

Estes raised a brow, his opaque orbs mockingly unwavering. "Somehow, I don't believe so. What do my people think of my now? I abandoned them at the time where they needed me the most-"

" _No_ ," Miya snapped. "You did not abandon them. What happened was beyond your control, no one will blame you for outside factors that caused this to occur."

"I know, Miya, I know," Estes replied softly. "But they will blame someone. Without a source to blame, to hate, fear intensifies. The fact that a war was started in a time of absolute peace is not distilling. Naturally, the public will blame a person and I believe that will be me."

He was right, Miya admitted to herself. He was always right.

"You're right," she sighed. "But you're a hero. And now, since you're alive, maybe they won't blame you. You are their last remaining heir; they cannot hate you, especially with the Dark Month approaching. Maybe if you had died, the blame would have been on you, a dead person- so much easier to blame than a being with a conscience."

Estes fell silent.

"I hope so," Estes settled for at last. Her eyes searched his for a hint of emotion, but as always, found none.

Miya stood, and Estes frowned at her leaving. She took her mug off the coffee table opposite and turned to Estes. "I'll wash these," she offered. "Here, pass me yours."

He frowned, not giving her the cup, instead reaching for hers. "No," he replied flatly. "I'll wash them."

Her mouth dropped open in a display of disbelief and humour, before she quickly regained her composure. "No, its fine," she replied. "I've got it. You can use the bathroom or whatever. It's almost night, and we're leaving tomorrow."

Although there were no windows in the room, there had been a clock on the wall of the bedroom which pointed at the dark side, indicating it was two hours into the evening.

"Miya," he grit out. "Pass it."

"Pass the cup, buttercup," Miya said dryly.

The corner of Estes' mouth twitched a little at the nickname.

As soon as the words left her mouth Miya sagged a little. "Please tell me I didn't call my king a buttercup," she muttered under her breath. She handed him the mug. "Sorry, your highness," she said flatly in her surrender.

The king revelled in his victory, his eyes glinting as he turned to the kitchen. Miya sighed, and stalked off to the bathroom instead.

Estes waited until she was gone for a small smile to spread over his lips.

III

She pulled down her hair from its ponytail, wincing as it stuck in the shape for a few moments before she shook it out of its form. She slipped into some modest undergarments and settled into one of the beds, her bow on the table to her right, and arrow already nocked, just in case.

She yawned as she walked towards her quiver, digging out the small drawstring bag at the bottom of all the arrows. Her hair is disgusting, Miya mused, as she fished out a small wooden toothed comb.

Miya wasn't one for vanity, but she did keep some small trinkets used to somewhat make her appearance more, well, _appealing_.

She thought she looked fine, but everyone looked fine in her opinion. She sighed, dragging the brush from her roots to the silver ends, wincing as the comb got caught every few seconds, and she would have to wiggle it free.

She grimaced as she saw the amount of hair she had left to tackle. She threw aside the comb and used her fingers to pull the knots loose, disgusted as she found streaks of dirt and _–Moon forgive her, was that a leaf?_ Horrified, she pulled it out. Maybe she was vain after all, she mused.

"I'll wash it tomorrow," she murmured tiredly, sinking into the sheets of her bed. The soft mattress felt heavenly against her battered and bruised frame; she had gotten _far_ too used to the rock hard ground for her own liking.

She was interrupted as the connecting bathroom door swung open, revealing Estes, who had apparently taken a shower, judging by the steam behind him and his wet hair, which clung to his frame.

"Nice shower," Miya asked, not caring but asking out of politeness. She reached for the comb once again as she lay on the bed. She held strands of her hair up to the light, seeing the knots and sighing.

"Yes," Estes replied, drying his hair. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length locks with no effort, squeezing out the water onto the towel on his lap.

"It's so unfair," Miya hissed bitterly as she admired Estes' perfectly straight hair.

"What is?"

"That you have perfectly tameable hair and I don't," she sighed in exasperation. "You're the man here, but any lady would swap her locks for yours."

Amused, yet seemingly nonplussed, Estes raised a brow. "Perhaps you're doing it wrong."

Miya glared, but her gaze softened as the hatred was only light-hearted. With little determination, she pulled herself upright and began to brush the matted dry hair.

Estes sighed, and Miya ignored him, continuing the brutal slaughter of her own hair.

"Let me," he offered, and Miya turned, confused, to see Estes approach her. He gently took the brush out of her hand, and sat behind her on the bed. His fingers brushed against her neck as he gathered all her long white hair behind her, dragging the brush through slowly, careful not to pull tightly.

"You pull too tightly," he murmured, as he pulled apart the thickest of knots with his fingertips, before straightening it with the comb. "Be gentler with your hair."

Miya huffed, a small blush spreading over her cheeks.

The two sat in silence, Miya awkward while Estes perfectly comfortable in the conflicting silence. She winced as the comb caught in a large knot before Estes tugged it free.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"It's fine," she replied. "Thanks for doing this, really-"

"You've done more for me," he countered. "This is the least I can do."

They really were alike, Miya mused as the awkward atmosphere dispersed with the friendly small talk. Both stubborn, both quiet- it was nice to have someone exactly like _you_ around. Someone that saw the things only she could see.

Estes finished untangling her hair, and with a satisfied look on his face, handed the wooden brush back to her. She accepted it with a muttered thank you.

Estes retreated to his side of the room, and Miya took the time to admire her silky (yet dirty) hair. Brushing her fringe out of her eyes, she crawled under the covers, sighing in pleasure as her head hit the pillow. She finally felt at peace, after being at war for so long.

"Good night," she murmured as she blew out the candles that served as a light source. She paused before blowing out the last one, making sure everything was well, before blowing the light out.

"Good night," Estes replied.

Instantly, the room was engulfed with darkness, and Miya shut her eyes, allowing her train of thought to run free.

She'd changed a little, she noticed. She'd become more open.

 _Was that a good or a bad thing?_

She wasn't like this usually. She didn't usually joke, but for some reason now… she was different. She'd become more light hearted. Miya was slightly alarmed with the self-realisation, but it wasn't an issue… was it?

Maybe it was Estes, though Miya couldn't find a reason why she would behave differently in front of him. She remembered his hands brushing her neck and flushed crimson, glad no one could see her in the dark.

Maybe she should just sleep. Miya sighed lightly, before rolling over and into sleep.

III

 _Morning_

She awoke to the dark.

Groaning ever so slightly, she rolled over, sighing as she tried to push herself back to sleep. When she didn't succeed, Miya pulled herself upright, feeling around in the dark for there were no windows to tell her the time or provide any morning light.

She summoned a small flame to her palm, its light casting shadows around the room. She crept outside, glancing at the clock on the wall to tell her the time.

Seven hours into the day.

Sighing, she crept silently back into the room, grabbing her drawstring bag before heading to the shower. There were electronic lights in the bathroom, so Miya flicked the small plastic switch on the wall to bring the lights alive.

The white light flickered before steadying, filling the bathroom with an artificial light. She clenched her fist, and the magic flames disappeared, their purpose served. She pulled off her clothes swiftly, stepping into the shower and turning on the red tap.

The hot water scalded her skin but Miya held strong until the hot water didn't burn, but sooth. She ran her fingers through her hair, which was silkily smooth when drenched with water. She squeezed a small amount of the artificially blue shampoo into her palm, massaging it into her scalp. She did the same with the conditioner once the water had washed away all remnants of the bubbles in her hair.

She let the water rinse out the conditioner and with it the morning fatigue that had clouded her mind. Refreshed, she stepped out of the shower and dried off with a white towel, pulling on her undergarments that she wore under her blue elven armour.

Resting the towel around her neck to catch the drips from her still-wet hair, she put the small tubes of hair ointment back into her bag, before flicking the switch and walking out. With the bright bathroom light gone, Miya blinked before allowing her eyes to adjust to the non-existent lighting.

In the darkness of the bedroom, a small sliver of light could be seen under the door. She frowned, she doubted it was Estes, she could still see a small outline of a body in the other bed. But in the dim lighting, she could not be sure.

Silently moving towards the door, she opened it slowly to reveal the living room, lit with firelight from the fireplace in the heat of the room. She glanced around to find Freya, seated cosily in the couch with a mug and a book.

The Valkyrie sipped her concoction, seemingly unaware of the other person in the room until Miya closed the door with a muted squeak and thud.

"Ah, good morning," the Valkyrie greeted, setting her book down. "I've brought breakfast- there's sweetbread in the bag on the counter," she said, gesturing towards the kitchen.

"Morning," Miya replied, before heading towards the kitchen, taking the kettle and pouring it straight into a mug, as Freya had boiled the water moments before, judging by the faintly smoking hearth. She added a spoonful of randomly selected tea leaves to the solution, not glancing at the label of the jar until the leaves had been stirred in. _Oolong,_ she read, pleasantly surprised at the aroma from the eastern native tea.

"I trust you slept well," the Valkyrie called from her position on the couch, having picked up her book once more.

"Yes, I did, thank you," Miya replied, looking up from her tea. With a swift movement, she captured the majority of the tea leaves and put them in the bin, their purpose served.

Grabbing the paper bag left on the counter with thinly disguised delight, Miya joined the female warrior at the lounge, placing the steaming demitasse on the coffee table, before diving into the bag and pulling out the loaf, roughly tearing it in half to leave some for Estes.

"Sweetbread," Miya sighed in pleasure, as she bit into the sugary loaf. "How'd you get a hold of it?"

Sweetbread was one of Miya's favourite things in the world, the other ones being Nana and the Moon Temple, along with many others. The sugary take on bread had originated in Lorean, and Miya and Nana had stopped to share a loaf at their small time in Lorean. Nana had absolutely adored it, and Miya had to agree. Being secretly fond of sugary foods, Miya had eaten the bread every day they were there at Lorean.

"Trade," Freya sighed, looking up from her novel. "The conditions here aren't exactly ideal for farming," she said, not trying to conceal her contempt and amusement. "So instead we trade the iron from the asteroid, and other materials too, for food and other equipment."

Miya nodded, and the two sat in comfortable silence, Miya munching on her little piece of heaven, while Freya sipped her juice and read silently.

Moments later, Estes had appeared, hair tousled and shirt slightly askew. He didn't look any less handsome, Miya thought to herself, blushing angrily at her own thoughts.

"Is it morning?" Estes questioned, glancing towards the clock to answer his own question. "Ah. Good morning Miya, _Freya_ ," he added, as he glimpsed the blue-haired Valkyrie.

"Morning," the two females chorused in unison.

The morning went quickly from there on, Miya quickly finishing her meal and offering the rest to Estes. The elves quickly gathered their belongings, and Miya strapped on her blue armour pieces while the moon king pulled on a purple velvet travelling cloak, on top of the clothes he had been given when first found by the Valkyries.

"Ready to go?" Freya asked for the seventeenth time, and this time, both answers were affirmative. She extended her hands to the two of them, and they disappeared in a swirl of golden light.

The trio reappeared in a flash of golden light at the borders of Khastrion, and Freya nodded at them once. "The Valkyries wish you safe passage out of Khastrion," she replied formally, but genuinely. "We are glad Estes found his people, and we wish you all the best in the future."

"Thank you," Miya said thickly, and Estes nodded in agreement.

"We will not forget your hospitality," said Estes, a regal look taking place in his face. "We will be sure to return your favours in some way."

"Thank you," the Valkyrie replied, smiling a little. "I must admit, it is sad to see you go. I have stood guard over the crystal for years, and I am glad you have finally been freed, Estes," she looked towards the Moon King. "But I have also found friendship in you both."

"It is sad to see _you_ go too, Freya," Miya said softly, and the two chuckled a little at their exchange.

"Visit sometime?" Freya asked dryly, and they all laughed, looking at the wasteland.

"Perhaps," Miya intoned, but they all knew her answer was far from uncertain. "Well, then," she said, awkwardly gesturing behind her. "We should get going-"

"Ah, yes," the Valkyrie said, almost wistfully. "Good luck for the future, and safe travel home."

"Thank you," Miya and Estes muttered. "I wish you well in the future, too," Miya said, smiling.

"Goodbye," the Valkyrie farewelled, as the duo walked away. Miya turned to wave back at the golden Valkyrie, in farewell.

"Goodbye," Miya whispered, but it was too late. The winged female had already gone.

III

The two had headed due north as soon as they had departed Khastrion. If they kept at the speed they were going at, they could reach Arelia in two weeks.

With extra time on their hands and the Dark Month being a month away, Miya had opted they stop at the small town named Candor to buy some supplies. While Miya had already stopped to buy equipment when she first came to Khastrion, she figured Estes could use some new clothes and belongings for the trip.

The two had found a small road-side store run by a kind steel elf originally from Lorean. Miya had known nothing of men's fashion, so she gave Estes the pouch of coins and her opinion (as well as a mock argument) instead. They had walked away with a new pair of riding boots and dark slacks.

They then opted to go to buy equipment, so Miya split their money and left Estes to buy some tools, even trinkets, while she bought some new first-aid equipment. Her supply on linen bandages had been running low, so this was the perfect time to restock.

She talked the man at the counter into a bargain, and she smirked as she won the bandages for an unreasonably low price. Miya was rich, being the daughter of a noble family, but at these times the village needed the money a lot more than she did. She opted on saving money so she could donate the rest to the rebuilding.

She found Estes, who had already acquired a small backpack (which looked like it had some items inside) at a stall selling hair ties. She had laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days, but had ended up buying a bundle of plain black elastics, saying they'd share.

Estes revealed the items in his bag when the two stopped for the night. They stopped at the little mining village that Miya stopped at to buy her supplies, renting a night at a cheap inn for a silver coin. He'd bought a small dagger, a comb (which Miya had laughed, saying he could use hers), another shirt, a small towel, a little wooden elephant (Miya smiled) and a small bracelet.

The bracelet was a thin blue strap of dyed leather, which had a few charms on it. He'd handed it to Miya, saying it was a gift of thanks. She'd stuttered and blushed a little, before hugging him and saying there was no reason to be thanking her, that she should be the one thanking him.

Estes waved it off, and Miya tied the strips of leather around her wrist, giving one last thankful smile. You really didn't have to, she had said, but Estes shrugged and said that it would be the first of many favours.

The two slept then woke and were on the move again. Sometimes their path was so deserted that there were no villages nearby. Instead they made do by sleeping on the ground, in patches of soft grass if they could, with their packs as pillows. Miya had chosen not to carry a sleeping bag due to efficiency, and briefly doubted her decision when she woke up with a crooked spine and throbbing pain in her neck.

Regardless, they pushed through, eager to be home.

III

 _A week later_

For the second time, Miya gazed at the silver castle on the horizon. The sun had started on its perilous descent, glowing the orange hue that signalled dusk.

"Can you see it," Miya murmured, as the two stood in their reverie. Drawn to their home, but still not quite there. It was pain and pleasure mixed into one breathtaking sight.

Estes' lack of response signalled that the castle was in his sight. Moon Palace would always your breath away, Miya mused. A pale cerulean hue danced on the castle's silver, reflected vaguely by the enormous blue sky.

"Come on," Miya urged softly. The sunset, reflected in the king's eyes had turned his glassy orbs into a beige tinted cream. He nodded, before following Miya down the path.

They were only moments away, and Miya's heart raced with both excitement and nerves. She felt apprehensive- though predictions could only touch on what her partner was feeling right now. She snuck a sideways glance at Estes; the king still keeping his composure, while his pupiless eyes darted from the castle to the path to the castle to the path-

"Hey," Miya said softly. "Don't worry." _I'm here_ , the unspoken words murmured, and she could only hope Estes could hear them in the silence.

His expression relaxed slightly, and he sent her a thankful glance.

They reached Silvana at last, the city steadily rebuilding, Miya noticed with pleasure. A few elves could be seen through the windows in the small white-bricked houses. They made a beeline towards the castle though, for Miya knew that the most important officials would likely remain at the palace for the time being, to form an impromptu council to lead the people.

She walked through the already opened doors. A few eyes looked her way curiously, before widening when they saw her and her companion. She wasn't really sure how to introduce or explain Estes.

"Everyone," she began, her voice signalling authority around the room. She was Miya. She was their saviour. _They would listen_. "May I present the fourteenth Moon Elf King, Estes."

The throne room was silent from then forth. A few whispered murmurs, a dozen excited hisses and the room exploded with happiness and joy.

A small party was thrown then and there, as dusk passed into the night. Several of Miya's cousins greeted Estes, for Miya's generation were the only nobles after the assassinations in the war. Civilians, upon hearing the commotion, had come to the palace; only to hear the news and then join the happy crying and excitement.

One of them had been Neshya, who, upon hearing the news, dashed straight towards Miya and pulled her sister into a hug. "You did it," Neshya whispered. "You really did it."

"I know," Miya remarked, and the two laughed, and got caught up and gradually separated in the celebration.

One of Miya's cousins, Michaelis, had opened a bottle of liquor during the party, and everyone fought for their shot (literally) at having a sip. After some time, the excitement cooled down, and screams turned back into beaming smiles.

"To the new King Estes!" the Chancellor toasted towards the crowd, raising his glass of liquor to the king.

" _To King Estes!"_ thundered the crowd, raising their fists instead of drinks in response. Applause endured for quite some time afterwards, and Miya laughed a little when Estes caught her eye in the crowd, his ever nonplussed look disturbed by a small smile. He dropped her gaze when two ladies sauntered up to him to wish his reign luck (and seduce him, by the looks of it). Miya glared, jealous.

"We, of course, will host a formal ceremony for this occasion, as well as many other meeting due to the new ascent in power…" the Chancellor droned on, the people only half listening as everyone frantically talked about the ball to come, the one thrown in Estes' honour. 'Formal ceremony' was a dead ringer for a ball, and all the young women were excited, excluding Miya.

Her thoughts were echoed when a woman Miya's age, tall, green eyes, walked up to her. "A ball, Miya," Sharana said excitedly, dragging Miya into a group of girls. Sharana had been Miya's schoolmate when at the Moon Temple. "What will you wear, war hero?" she asked mockingly, and laughed when Miya snickered at the title.

Among the girls was Neshya, who waved, causing the others to look over at the moonlight archer.

Miya sighed, but a smile broke through her defences. This would be a long night.

III

 _Two Weeks Later_

Miya had moved back into the family estate, which had been housed in her absence by her two cousins, Michaelis and Everett. They, like her, had their parents murdered in the noble assassinations.

The Estella Estate was a rather big dwelling, as the Estella family had close ties to the royal bloodline. They were not related to the royal family, but the two families had always been great friends, thus their noble status.

Both Michaelis and Everett were the children of her father's twin brother. Siblings were uncommon in the elven culture; most elves had no siblings, and thus no cousins. Miya was one of the only people in Silvana to have a cousin; due to the fact her father had been a twin.

She pulled on a slim fitting top, and armoured leg guards before she fastened her bracelet on her left wrist. She pulled her hair to the side, plaiting it quickly and efficiently.

Miya shouted a quick goodbye to her cousins before leaving the estate. She was called for a meeting about reconstruction of the city. Being her father's heir, she was a noble and was technically allowed to sit on the council of elders.

The meeting was at Moon Palace, as usual, and she ran through the streets of the still-recovering village before making it to the castle. She headed upstairs, to the meeting room, and took her seat, marked with the reservation card 'estella'.

Estes sat at the head of the table, as he was ranked higher than everyone else, being the king. Miya sat to his right, as the heir of one of the two noble families, and the heir to the Trylle family to his left- a boy with cropped silver-grey hair. The rest of the table was filled with various officials, one being the Chancellor, others being ministers of education, defence, economic growth, and foreign affairs.

The king wore a golden armour piece, with the stag-like golden crown adorning his head. While everyone else wore casual, the king always dressed in finery.

"I declare the meeting open," Estes intoned, and discussion began.

III

Miya left the meeting room with a sigh, heading straight home. The meeting had bored her to death, though she had stuck some insightful comments in the right places to keep up the scheme that she was paying attention.

She had come home to find the house empty, so she walked right out the way she came. She'd probably head to the dressmaker's store, to find something decent to wear to tonight's ball.

She received a few waves and smiles on her way to the only boutique open after the war- the war had made Miya somewhat a minor celebrity. She enjoyed the attention, but the feeling of reverence the people emitted was a little unnerving. She was no deity, though some treated her as such.

She opened the glass doors to the boutique, to find it surprisingly empty. Not all did last minute shopping like she did, Miya realised, and with a sigh, she headed towards the counter.

A middle-aged lady stood behind, counting silver and gold coins, when Miya approached.

"What can I do for you, Miya Estella?" the lady asked with a smirk, and Miya realised that the woman already knew what she wanted.

"Get me the cheapest dress my size," she replied dryly. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

The lady frowned, looking up and down. "No can do," the lady replied tutting as she shook her head. "Only the finest gowns for our war hero," she said with a deadly smile.

The archer sighed. "I cannot afford an expensive dress. I will only ever wear it once, so it would be a waste."

"Nonsense, nonsense," the shopkeeper tutted. "If you will not find the funds necessary, then I will pay for your gown. Now, come along. We have many dresses to try."

Miya would argue, but she realised she had been led into a trap. The shopkeeper knew she was not poor, and tried to pity Miya into paying for the dress herself. She sighed, and followed as she was lead to a rack of clothing.

The lady ruffled through many exquisite gowns- Miya briefly wondered how many had been made before the war. The gowns came in a rainbow of colours and shades, some being made in the finest silk, while others sporting great waterfalls of chiffon and velvet.

"How about this one," the elder said, gesturing towards a gown of silk, with accents of blue chiffon that floated around to form the skirt. It had a tight fitting bodice, which extended into a loose blue skirt decorated with chiffon.

"To flashy," Miya frowned. "Is there not something simpler I can wear?"

The other chuckled, putting the dress back onto its hanger. "Not with looks like those, darling. You're a noble; for once act like those upright fools."

Her easy dismissal of the noble families caused Miya to raise a brow, but she didn't disagree. Though she was one herself, the influence the nobles had was only due to their enormous wealth, causing many corrupted leaders in the past of her family. Wealth did not mean the power to make the right decisions.

"This one?"

She looked the dress over. Plan, simple, stylish-

"Try it on," the shopkeeper said, interrupting her thoughts. "I can always enchant it for you if it doesn't fit."

"Alright," Miya agreed cautiously. She slipped the shimmering blue material off its hanger and walked towards the back of the room, where an impromptu dressing room was in place. She stepped in and pulled the curtain to hide her form.

She slipped into the silky material, the dress falling into place as she tightened the sash around her waist. A little loose, she thought, as she pulled back the curtain to see the shopkeeper awaiting her.

"Ah, beautiful," the shopkeeper murmured. "One of my finer garments," she revealed, as she examined the dress on Miya closely. "It's a little loose, isn't it? Where?"

Miya pointed, and the shopkeeper's hands glowed a soft purple as Miya felt the fabric tighten. The feeling faded, and the lady withdrew her glowing touch.

She looked at herself in the mirror; the dress was made of dark blue satin, and was close fitting. Decorating the gorgeously metallic material were silver highlights in the forms of swirls and fake plastic gems that made the dress glitter like the night sky. It then flared out at the waist into a waterfall of material; that was a soft translucent black with silver lining. Underneath all the chiffon ruffles was the dark blue satin, so the translucent material did not appear see-through.

"Mirrors only reflect the exterior," the lady mused softly. "I believe that even in a mirror, we can never truly see ourselves. We can see the person everyone else sees- but we never see the person we are most familiar with, our own personality."

Miya looked into the mirror, watching as her ice-blue eyes watch themselves in the reflective glass. "That's true," she replied softly.

The woman chuckled, the sound lifting the heavy atmosphere. "Though of course, we can change what people see. All good?" She asked, gesturing to the dress.

"I'll take it."

The shopkeeper smiled, pleased, as she headed towards the counter. Miya took the dress off, and the woman slipped it into a small bag. "Sixty-two silver," she said, thrusting out her palm.

"How much in gold?"

"Sixteen."

Miya grabbed a handful of golden coins and piled them into the shopkeeper's palm. "I trust that's enough," she said dryly, as the lady counted the coins quickly, before giving the two extra back to the moonlight archer.

"Thank you for shopping here," the lady said automatically. Miya smiled wryly in response.

III

 _Later_

To say Estes was nervous was an understatement.

He was looking forward to the event by all means, but he wasn't looking forward to the conversations that would come with it. He fastened the sterling cufflinks on the indigo vest that he was wearing absentmindedly, as he walked out of the dressing room and into the hallway.

He walked to the left, going down the stairs before bumping into his Chancellor. "Y-Your majesty," the man stuttered, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You were heading down to the ballroom?"

"Ah, yes," the king replied.

"Well, I won't keep you," the other man flushed, stepping aside. "I hope you have a nice time." With that, the official ran off.

Estes frowned. The Chancellor had been acting rather… _odd_ lately, he thought. He hadn't thought anything of it, but it did seem rather strange. He shook it off, opting to not cloud his thoughts for tonight. He reached another junction and peered down them both.

 _Was it right or left?_

He thought it was right. Though maybe it was left. He turned right, on instinct, and ran right into a female in a satin dress.

"Miya," he greeted, and the archer blinked twice before realising who she had run into.

"Oh, Estes," she breathed. "I'm lost. Can you-"

 _Ah._ In any other situation, he would have laughed due to the irony of it. And dear Selene, she looked beautiful.

Estes suppressed the thought as quick as it came.

"-I don't know the way," the king replied dryly.

Her lips turned down a little, as she fretted, wringing her hands. "I was meant to meet a friend," she said, explaining her anxiousness. "And I was already late coming here and-"

"Ah. Your escort?"

She blinked, staring up at him. "Oh, no. My best friend, Neshya," she explained. "I don't have an escort."

He didn't know why, but he was pleased. Pleased that she didn't have an escort. "Neither do I," he commented (maybe a little too casually, he reckoned).

She stared a little, before smiling. Miya turned a little, gesturing down the hall. "We should find our way to the ballroom," she said. "Any instincts on which direction?"

"Enlighten me," he cited, and she sighed, grinning as she grabbed his arm and headed down the hallway.

III

The ball had run relatively smoothly after Estes and Miya had made their semi-grand appearance, arriving 'fashionably late', as Miya had reasoned, while Estes had shot her a rather incredulous look for the excuse.

"The king always arrives on time, everyone else is simply early," Estes had quoted rather uncharacteristically once they found the ballroom. Miya tittered.

The two had stood a little off-centre of the room, occasionally being approached by family friends and excited civilians- but Miya had shook them off as quickly and as gently as she could.

The music started, and Estes looked to Miya. "Come on," the king gestured, tugging her arm gently. Miya stuttered, resisting.

"I can't dance," she moaned, as she allowed herself to get dragged to the middle of the room.

"What a useless escort," he responded with an air of importance. "Just follow me."

She sagged, and he twirled her into place along with the other dancing couples. She rested her hand on his shoulder, and he held the other. Estes' other hand lingered before settling on her waist.

It was hard to look anywhere but him, Miya thought, as the music dictated their pace around the dance floor. Glancing to the left, she caught sight of Neshya, drink in hand, tittering and laughing with some male elves. She smiled, glad that her friend was enjoying the occasion.

"How've you been?" Estes asked, and she brought her gaze back to him.

"Oh, I've been fine," she replied breezily, as the music skipped, and Estes twirled her around. She laughed, feeling lighter than he had in days. "How've you been? With being king and all."

"Oh," he said, frowning, as he thought of an appropriate response. "It had been chaotic, I suppose," he admitted. "But I've been coping."

"I'm glad," Miya said, smiling. "Though that meeting he Chancellor set up the other day- I thought it was ridiculous," she frowned. "It wasn't needed at all."

The meeting she and Estes had participated in yesterday was on the premise on deciding whether or not the hospital should be given more money to accommodate more patients. Miya thought the meeting was unnecessary, as providing a stable amount of government resources to a hospital should have been an obvious decision.

Something flickered in Estes' opaque eyes, before it disappeared and was replaced by a look of thought. "I agree. It was… unnecessary."

Miya nodded, growing more comfortable to the small gap between them. "It-"

A sharp thud echoed throughout the room. The musicians paused mid-song, just as Miya paused, mid-conversation. Silence settled across the room.

" _What was that?"_

A young woman's shrill cry brought the rest out of the eerie reverie the rest of her kin had been in. Miya blinked, scanning the room, increasing her grip on Estes' hand.

 _Thud._

Again, the large sound echoed through the room, silencing any scared murmurs that had arisen. "The _door_ ," someone cried, and everyone immediately glanced to the north of the room.

"Stay calm," Miya commanded, raising her voice. "There are warriors among us, should it be necessary." She gritted her teeth, pulling herself gently out of Estes' clutch. "I'll be back," she muttered to her partner. Without waiting for confirmation, she started towards the front of the room.

Almost on cue, the silver doors burst open, revealing a figure dressed with tattered clothes and bloodstains. A collective gasp echoed through the room. Miya pushed her way towards the front of the crowd of people. A small circle of people were around the newcomer, scared to be to close, yet curious of whom it was.

"Please," the figure begged hoarsely, its voice distinctly female. "I have come to warn you."

"Warn us of what?" Miya hissed, gathering the civilians behind her protectively. "Reveal yourself, I command you!"

The figure pushed dirty turquoise bangs out of her face, revealing a pair of startling bright cyan eyes. Miya reeled back, horrified, as she recognised the eyes that stared back at her.

Bending down slowly, she pushed back the fold of her dress to reveal a silver knife strapped to her thigh. Miya pulled the knife out of its sheath in a smooth movement, ruffling her dress as she did so.

She angled the knife, holding it in the air horizontally, pointed at the female. The spectators reeled back at the appearance of a weapon, even though by one on their side.

Miya cocked her head, thrusting the knife forward in a symbol of aggression and defence. When she spoke, her words were deathly cold and sliced through the air like no dagger could.

"What do you want, Karina?"

III

 **-End Part III-**

 **(to be continued)**

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 **endnote.** chiffon is my new favourite word. :) thanks for all the lovely feedback on the last chapter. It was pleasing to see some familiar faces, but even more so to see some newcomers review for the first time! Welcome to the family! :D And wow, this story is hitting it off a lot more than I anticipated. I'll try and keep my a/n short, because the review replies take up so much space and you probably don't want to listen to be ramble anyways :P

 **a/n:** well, as you know, estes' characterization was extremely hard for me. I rewrote this chapter a shocking seven times. S-e-v-e-n. 7. maybe I'll post the deleted scenes in some sort of oneshot anthology. I really hope I got his character right. Maybe give me some tips…? I'm disappointed in myself for creating this chapter as it served as a filler chapter, just to get Estes and Miya familiar with each other. You can't have them falling in love without time to bond, lol. I can't believe this story was meant to be a oneshot. Sighhhh. Looks like we're spiralling into the dangerous waters of a longer story…

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 **replies. as always, thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **Maine:** Thank you for the compliments on the plot and characterisation! I'm a huge fan of Freya as well. And you're right- she's a Valkyrie, not a normal person and should be written as such. And yes, I'm planning to have another twist coming up… that's why this chapter is so peaceful ;) Thank you for your review! Love, Silver.

 **The Sleeping Zombie:** Yay, you're a familiar face! I'm extremely pleased that you bawled your eyes out. That was my intention. *smirks* And here is the Mestes interaction- god I hope it was okay. I'm going to try and include more heroes, but they're only going to be ones that have ties to Miya's lore. I don't want to spoil too much. And I don't want the story to be crowded with too much happening at once. Thanks for your review! Love, Silver.

 **Missing Middle.** Ahhh i nearly cried when that monster of a review showed up in my inbox. First of all, thank you so much. And hang on for the ride, because long reviews mean long replies.

To be honest, the title was a little random, but I'm glad it clicked with you and it suited the chapter. And in response to your comments about my writing style- I've noticed myself that I tend to write differently when I write this fic. More serious, less humour, more drama. This story was first started as a writer's experiment- to try a new style of writing. I'm glad it seems to be going well so far.

I attempt to give the characters as much backstory as possibly, because of the lack of fanfiction in this category, I attempted to initiate my own theory and backstory, trying to use the small paragraphs of lore from the game and turn them into a story that shaped that character. I completely understand when you say you don't want too many characters at once. I'm the same, so I'm avoiding having too many main characters. Of course, there are the side characters that appear for scenes and then disappear. I guess Alucard was one in this story, but he will make another appearance… ;)

I did not intend for the 'sleeping beauty' metaphor, but now that you mention it, it does ring true with the story. Some elements such as Miya being a strong female character and not the damsel in distress can be connected with the story, or rather, a twist of the original tale.

I hope I managed Estes' character alright. I ended up playing a game with him to listen to the catchphrases for inspiration. Gosh, I hope it worked.

Thank you for your review, and I hope to see you next chapter. Love, Silver.

 **Chounojou:** Thank you for your kind words! *virtual hug* my aim is to make the characters as human as possible. They're all different personalities which makes it fun to explore all aspects of their character. And here's the promised Mestes interaction! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (though it took a lot of rewrites)

And yes, haha, there's a ship name for my otp of this fandom. #teammestes! Thank you for the reassurance that I'm doing well, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Uttermost thanks to my number one fan! Thanks for your review, and hope to see you next chapter. Love, silver.

 **Guest:** aww thanks for the reviews on chapters 1 & 2\. As an author, I'm glad to hear you read the story for the plot and writing, not the ship. And yes, you're right, there are some cringy ml fanfics out there, and I'm glad to hear mine isn't one of them :D Thanks for the review! Love, silver.

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 **discord.** We don't have a very big mlbb fanfiction community, do we? Maybe we could create a discord server… any of you guys interested? Birds of a feather, flock together ;)

 **Thank you for reading chapter three. I'm a little nervous because apparently third chapters don't get reviewed a lot xD See you all next time. Ja ne.**

 **The Mobile Legends FanFiction Community is small, so any feedback in the form of reviews (!) or alerts is deeply appreciated. Without feedback, an author cannot know what he/she is doing wrong (or right). Please report spelling or grammatical errors please!**

[player _silverdiadems_ has logged out]


	4. The Perfect Imperfection

-x-

silverdiadems presents

 **My Queen**

a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fanfiction

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise** Mobile Legends. **This is a piece of fiction written based on the game, but is not canon or officially tied to the game's lore in any way. The right to the franchise belongs solely to Moonton.**

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 _Part IV:_

 _The Perfect Imperfection_

"Please, you need to listen," the night elf begged, cowering underneath the point of Miya's silver blade.

"I have no reason to listen to the likes of you and your kind," hissed Miya venomously. "Not after _last time_ , anyway."

The night elf flinched. "I am sorry we were not on the best of terms," Karina began, holding her hands up in a symbol of surrender. "But for the sake of your kind, you must listen to me-"

"Your kind?" Miya sneered. "Do you forget your history? _Your_ kind was once _our_ kind, whether or not you traitors want to believe it or not."

"Please," Karina breathed. "Just listen, please-"

She waved the blade threateningly in front of Karina's face. "Speak now," Miya relented, her voice softening, but her blade not wavering. "Make it quick, _night elf_."

She hissed out the last words like a curse, making it clear that she was the one in her home land, not the intruder. She had the advantage, and she would make it evident.

"You are in danger," Karina gasped, finally free to speak. "An assassin is going to try and kill your king."

Gasps echoed through the room, murmurs growing louder as suspense and worry grew in the room. Miya tilted her head, speaking softly but never taking her eyes off Karina. "Civilians –please– I ask you return to your dwellings now. We have much to take care of," she said, glaring at the intruder.

She held the blade at the night elf's neck as the crowd departed in a hurry, a rush of rainbow and silk. She caught Nana's scared eyes through the gaps of the bodies fleeing the palace, the mage's eyes wide at the open display of aggression by her seemingly calm mentor. The cat mage made no movement to leave until Miya jutted her head sharply at the door. _Out,_ her eyes spoke, and Nana made her way out in a hurry to escape Miya's wrath. Once again, the Moon Palace's hall was empty except for four.

Estes of course remained present, along with a man named Sydell, which donned long white hair in a low ponytail secured at the base of his neck. He had been the former head of the disbanded torture and interrogation system that had been put into place during the events of the war, for the sole purpose of interrogating prisoners- demons, banshees… and even night elves.

She released the blade from Karina's throat as soon as the civilians were safe. Though the blade still hovered at Miya's side, the threat not completely vanquished.

"Why did you come here?"

The question came from not Miya, but Estes. The king watched the night elf with a strange look of curiosity and interest, despite the adamant threat on his life.

"To warn you."

"Why?"

The soft rebuttal came from Sydell, who, like Estes, had remained strangely calm. Miya however looked furious— blue fire sparking in her cobalt gaze.

The night elf sighed, remorse and regret flickering in her gaze before she looked up to meet them. "I… I assume you have noticed it is dusk. As you know, night elves cannot-"

"—be exposed to sunlight," Miya cut in quickly, realisation and cold horror clenching her face. "What have you _done_?!"

The night elf bowed her head. "It was an accident," she muttered. "An accident, I swear. I- One day I got… distracted. I was ambushed after an assassination mission, and since we elves are not easy to kill, they figured the best way to kill me was by exposing me to the sun."

Even in her rage, Miya winced. She knew of the severe intolerance of harsh sunlight the night elves had, as their substitute to the Moon could not grant them protection in the half of the day that was not the night.

"I remember it well," Karina confessed. "It was pain, fire, everywhere in my body _fire._ It was unbearable, and remembered wishing for anything that would take the heat away, just _anything_ to stop it. And I did the unthinkable. I betrayed my kind."

"What did you do?" Miya hissed.

"I prayed to the Moon," Karina burst out. "I didn't think it would work, just I wasn't thinking in the pain. I'm sorry… I didn't know what to do," she cried desperately. "But she… but she…"

Miya's eyes widened in horror, as she glanced anxiously over at Sydell and Estes, the two in mild yet cleverly concealed shock.

"Did she-"

… _did the Moon grant her prayer?_

"She did," the night elf whispered. "She freed me. I owe my life to the Moon, and I sense she knows that I was once her kin. Maybe that was why she pitied me."

"Her kin? You are not a Moon Elf," Sydell replied immediately. His bold statement wavered when Miya shook her head.

"No," Miya contradicted softly. "Night Elves were Moon Elves once. Or so legend has it."

"…It is true that Night Elves were once Moon Elves," Estes confirmed. "I remember my Father speaking of it when I was young."

"You betrayed your tribe," Miya whispered in awe, disgust curling her features when the realisation set in. "You _coward_."

Karina flinched. "I realise it was cowardly of me now, but the damage has been done. I am no longer a night elf, for I have instead sworn allegiance to the very thing our kind has been created to escape from."

The Moon Elves had since forever served the Moon in order to receive protection—the elven race had genetically had a very bad immunity to sunlight, making their skin extremely sensitive. Magic power sits on the skin, an invisible aura that coats the body, ready to be used.

The small bonus of the Moon's protective enchantment was enough to shield the worst of the sun's raw power. Without the protection, the Sun's energy had turned the night elves' skin into an unhealthily ashy grey. They'd be dead if it were not for the cure they had discovered. It kept them alive, but not healthy.

Even now, the Moon's magic had already worked its charm on Karina's appearance. Her skin had begun to pale, due to the healing properties of the Moon.

How she had managed to make the Moon listen was beyond Miya. But the fact that she _had_ was more important.

"How is she?" Miya asked, her voice softening as she looked at the night elf. The Moon had trusted Karina. Miya would try to do the same.

"She?"

"Selene."

Karina looked up, her gaze full of surprise and awe as she remembered the Moon Deity. "I… I believe she is well," she said at last. "She trusts you dearly, Miya. At first I was going to pretend nothing happened to me on that mission, regardless of how stupid that might have been. They would have noticed," she smiled bitterly gesturing to her fading skin. "But Selene told me to come—"

"She cannot call her Selene," Estes bit in. "She is not—"

"No," Miya murmured. "She is."

 _She is one of us now._

"I do not trust you," Miya admitted. "But if Selene does— I will try and understand why she saved you that day."

"Absurd," Sydell hissed. "You cannot trust a night elf. Especially not that snake," he hissed, glaring pointedly at Karina. "Have you forgotten what she did to your parents?"

"I have not forgotten, Sydell, thought it seems you have forgotten your place. You are in the presence of your king, and your deity's representative. You are no longer in power here, Sydell. Estes is back, and you will step down as is your place."

"Who died and left _you_ in charge," Sydell hissed, his calm façade disappearing with each word. Miya tilted her chin upwards arrogantly, her mind racing for an acceptable retort that would not crush the man's frail spine.

"Enough, Sydell. You have no right to speak to Miya that way," Estes intoned, his voice soft but the steel behind it evident. "Control yourself or be _silenced_."

The elder fell silent, a dusty rose in his cheeks the only sign of his previously held anger.

Miya cleared her throat in the silence. "We cannot forget the superior judgement in this situation. In fact, we have little power in the situation due to the circumstances. The Moon has passed her judgement, we can do very little to change her will."

"She could be dangerous—"

"Would the Moon trust someone that would harm her followers?"

An uncomfortable silence followed the bold statement. Miya sighed, her shoulders loosening. "I don't want to trust you," she said bluntly, staring at the night elf. "But our guardian does, and as one of her own and her heir, I will trust her decision."

Karina closed her eyes. "I respect that," she said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Don't thank me, thank Selene," Miya smiled wryly. "After all, had it been my decision, you would be dead."

III

 _Morning_

"What happened?" questioned Nana, as she bounced atop of Miya's white sheets.

The elf sat to the side, on an armchair of velvet watching the feline jump on her mattress. "A lot," Miya said vaguely, tipping her head to the side. Her hair was loose and in its natural waves, free of the restraints of her usual high ponytail.

Nana rolled her eyes, a grin forming her face. "Come on, you can tell me! Please," she begged, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Miya sighed in mock displeasure before a small smile made its way to her lips.

"Alright," she relented. "Just a little bit."

She told her story, careful to keep some things under her tongue. Miya had wanted to explain everything, reassure Nana and say that everything would be okay, but in reality she didn't know. She didn't know as much as she wanted to.

Nana had become excited at the mention of a night elf, her ears perking upwards and her eyes bright. "I want to meet her," the mage declared defiantly. "I've never seen a night elf before! Lysandria says that–"

Lysandria was Nana's elven friend. The two youths had become fast friends, with Lysandria a talented young mage teaching Nana a few tricks about magic that Miya, with almost no magic affinity, couldn't. Miya had been pleased at the improvement in her student's magic ability, but somewhat jealous she couldn't have taught her herself.

After her student finished her impromptu speech on how 'awesome, kind and smart' her friend was, the pinkette frowned, a shadow in her sunny personality. "Where's Karina?"

Miya grimaced. "I apologise, but some things must be kept secret."

Nana shrugged, but Miya could tell her student was still trying to figure out the location of the elf. The mage had developed a strange fascination for the newcomer, as Nana had not known much about other races until she had met Miya. The thought of a night elf in their custody was too exciting for Nana to let go.

Karina's whereabouts now were known to a select few– herself, Estes, Sydell and Neshya. Miya's best friend was the best magician they had after the death of some of the greatest magic-users known to the elves in the war. Her friend had a special talent for creating most durable barriers of pure magic– a very impressive feat that took much concentration and stamina.

The night elf had been kept in the former torture and interrogation headquarters, due to the overrule of Sydell. She had, along with Estes, protested against the rule but was subdued due to the decision of the Chancellor. Miya had grown to hate the man, and this circumstance only fuelled the already-lit fire.

"Nana," Miya began slowly, and idea forming in her head. "You said you wanted to meet Miss Karina, right?"

"Yes, yes!" cheered the mage. "Can we–"

"I cannot tell you where she is," Miya said, thinking of a loophole. "But perhaps if I guide you there and you do not see the route, it may be possible."

Nana grinned.

III

"Are we there yet," Nana grumbled as she stumbled blindly along the path. A small piece of black fabric was tied around her eyes to prevent her from seeing the route to their destination. Miya shrugged, knowing Nana wouldn't see the movement.

The two walked in almost silence, Miya's hand around her student's wrist to lead the way. Regardless of the warning of the rough terrain, Nana still stumbled before Miya steadied her with a quick tightening of her wrist.

"We're here," Miya said softly, after a few brutal minutes of tripping and falling on Nana's part. The two had gone through the forest to avoid attention. Nana ripped the blindfold off almost immediately, her eyes darting to and fro quickly, adjusting to the light.

They stood in front of a building made of onyx and grey, in its misuse the building retained only a little of its former glory.

Nana gaped at the enormity of the structure. "It's-"

"This is an evil place," Miya cut in sharply, her tongue laced with hate. "Do _not_ worship it."

The feline's eyes widened in a moment of fear before looking downwards, eyes refusing to meet Miya's. Sensing her guilt, she took back her words. "I apologise," Miya said stiffly. "But this is a part of our history that we are all ashamed of."

"What happened?" Nana asked, cautiously but curiously. Her student watched the moon elf with worried eyes, as she was staring at the building with uttermost hate.

The moon elf bit her lip, her eyes watching the building with regret. "People were tortured to death in this building," she said at last. "This was a long time ago, Nana, but we have never forgotten what we used to practice."

The mage fell silent, but Miya did not miss the look of horror in her student's eyes. She bit her lip, hate and regret stirring in her throat.

"You want to see her, don't you?" Miya asked. "We cannot stand here all day, Nana."

"I… _yes_ ," the mage replied quietly. "Yes, I do."

"Well come on," retorted Miya. "Let's go."

Together, they eased open the door which was made of a cold iron. Iron used to contain magic users. The metal had an uncanny effect to reduce magic power, and in extreme cases kill a mage when used to counter a healing spell.

Nana touched the door tentatively, but withdrew her finger quickly as the metal seared hot red. "Ah!" the mage cried, examining her finger closely.

"Don't touch the metal," Miya murmured. "It will burn those with the gift of magic."

They walked straight ahead into the darkness, the sunlight from the open door casting looming shadows on the concrete floor. "Why do they keep her in here?" Nana asked, cowering under the shadows. "She must be so afraid."

"Some things even I have no power over," Miya muttered darkly. "Believe me, it was not my decision. I would not have done this to my greatest enemy."

Nana was silenced again by the reappearance of iron, the material being used to forge the bars to the jail cells. The moon elf grit her teeth, as the iron chains still bore the stains of crusted blood.

" _Rifella,"_ Miya called to the darkness, and was granted with a swirl of glowing moonlight in her palm. They had travelled far from the sunlight and the entrance to the monolith, and could see no more without the aid of magic.

They passed cell after cell, finally reaching the quarters of the prisoners who had committed the severest crimes. The door in front of them, marked with a number, was a monstrosity made of iron. Miya pulled the key from her belt and slid it into the keyhole.

The door clicked open, and the two stood in the doorway.

Silence.

Then, the gentle sound of sobbing.

"Bastard," Miya hissed with quick realisation, casting a quick illumination spell with a flick of her finger. The shadows in the room flinched and ran back into the wall, leaving the room lit with unnatural light. Nana gasped, the figure on the floor revealed.

The night elf lay on the floor, her hands chained to the wall, and her already ripped clothes stained with blood. Her lips, dry and crusty murmured something Miya couldn't hear. Nana gasped behind her, and the moon elf rush towards the victim.

"That fool," she hissed angrily, snarling as she ripped of the handcuffs that bound the elf to the wall. "He had no right—"

"No," croaked Karina, struggling to sit up as she clutched her stomach. "I deserv—"

"You speak another word defending that _bastard_ 's actions and I will make sure you suffer the same fate," Miya hissed angrily. She turned around to her student, who was watching the scene with an aghast expression. "Nana. Bring Estes here immediately," she said, looking at her student with a stern gaze. "Make it quick."

"Yes," Nana gasped, about to leave before doubling back. "Wait, Miss Miya, I don't know the way!"

"Don't pretend you didn't use a tracking spell the entire way, Nana," Miya tutted. "Don't think I didn't notice."

The cat elf mage flushed, before bolting out the door.

"Our best healer is on his way," she murmured to the injured. "I still can't believe the nerve of that man— torturing one of his own."

She looked down at the elf, studying her injuries. A purple-blue bruise was forming on her abdomen- Miya suspected a broken rib or two. Small slices decorated her arm, no doubt punishments for when she wouldn't answer. The worst was a deep gash on her leg, with signs of infection. Miya summoned a little moonlight to her hands, pressing them lightly against the wound. Karina winced, but did not pull away.

The small healing spell was no miracle— simply having the ability to remove infection enough for the body to heal on its own. The infection had to be treated first, as it could lead to amputation if gone too far.

"Did you tell him anything?"

"No," whispered Karina. "I told him nothing."

"Good," Miya snarled in approval. "He deserved to gain nothing from this."

The assassin's fingers were tipped with red, evidence of burning. She was a mage, Miya realised. The burns had come from the sting of the iron shackles.

The iron door burst open once more with the appearance of Estes, his figure swallowing the smaller presence of Nana, who had stayed to the back. The king's fingers flickered briefly with the burns from the iron before healing almost instantly.

"Oh, thank Selene," Miya whispered, retracting her hands. "Estes, can you—"

"There was no need to ask," he replied quickly but angrily, his eyes lit with cool fire. "Who did this?"

Miya growled before answering. "That bastard Sydell," she grit out angrily. "I knew something was up when he wanted Karina here."

A white glow surrounded Estes' body, the silhouette of a crescent moon behind his back. Energy swirled around his hands before he directed them to the wounds on the elf's body. "Have him executed," he replied. "This is not to be taken lightly,"

Miya nodded gravely. "Very well."

"He comes here tonight," whispered Karina from the ground. Miya frowned, turning to look at the night elf.

"Who? What do you mean?"

"There is a traitor among you," Karina murmured, sitting upright against the cell wall, her wounds no longer life threatening. "One is the man who left me to die, but another is among your ranks."

"Sydell is a traitor? Forgive me, but apart from this act of treason, what has he done?"

"He works for my former leader," Karina replied. "He confessed this to me because he thought I would be on his side. Upon finding out that I had truly defected, he did this," she said, gesturing towards the small scars that had been deep wounds.

"Nana," Miya said suddenly, the mage jolting to attention. "Tell Neshya to arrest Sydell for me. She can bring him here when he is… _subdued_."

The mage nodded, running out.

"But there is someone else. He did not mention who, but there is someone who will kill the king tonight," she said. Miya glanced sharply at Estes, who seemed unnerved.

"Who?"

"They are close by," Karina said, her brows furrowing. "He said they were close."

"You are not worried," Miya interrupted, staring at the king. He turned to look at her, questions in his gaze. "You are not the slightest bit concerned for you own life?"

"I am," he admitted. "But I have faith in my people. I trust no harm will come to them or to me tonight."

 _Foolish_ , Miya thought, but kept her mouth shut. She would have to act alone once more. She had saved her people once, she would do it again.

"…as you wish," she replied hesitantly, making it clear she was unconvinced. Estes looked at her, suspicious, but then turned away.

 _What could she do_ , she thought. She needed to stop this. She needed a plan— something that would be clever but not extreme. Simplicity would slip under the radar, whereas enormity would draw the eye.

She had just the thing.

III

"You foolish, brave girl," Neshya whispered in awe and disgust. "You want my help on a suicide mission."

The sisters had met hours later, were Miya had confessed her plan. "There's a one in two chance," she argued. "I wish this was guaranteed to work, but I have to take the chance. Everything else is too risky."

"The man is coming to kill," hissed Neshya. "Do you not understand that if this works, you will—"

"I will take the chance, Neshya," Miya said calmly. "Either me or thousands of others."

The mage sighed. "I will think about it," she said at last, looking Miya into the eye. "If it works, I will never forgive myself."

"You must," Miya murmured. "After all, by doing this you saved our nation."

III

 _Dusk_

She received the necklace from Neshya before dusk, which left her with two hours before the night elves were able to roam free. She put it in her pocket, the silver metal chiming as it slid out of sight. It could not touch her skin yet.

Hours beforehand, Miya had organised guards around Estes at all times. The king had tried to downplay the threat, but a quick order from her mouth sent the soldiers on guard to protect the king. Loyalty would keep them faithful.

She glanced up at the sun. Its golden rays had started to disappear into the forest, leaving a stained orange over the blue expanse. Her eyes steeled as she calculated her remaining time. _An hour._

Miya looked away from the window, the necklace clinking softly in her breast pocket to remind her of its existence. She had been at Moon Palace for the last few hours, waiting for the moment to strike.

Her boots echoed against the quartz floor, finding themselves climbing the southern staircase at a slow pace. She'd check the guards. Again.

The soldiers nodded at her from their position outside their king's study, her presence almost normal from all the times she had come to check that they were on duty. She could not have any untrue soldiers tonight.

They separated when she reached the entrance, while one guard knocked before opening the door.

"It's Lady Miya, Your Majesty."

She slipped through the gap in the door, and looked back as the door closed behind her. Estes sat at the centrepiece of the room, the dark oak desk, flicking through a pile of paper. "Miya," he greeted, glancing at the paper one last time before looking up. "Again?"

She sighed, knowing he was referring to her visits every hour. "It's necessary."

"No, it really is not," the king replied, his full attention on her. "You have already have all the guards in the hallway and outside the castle. Such consideration is unnecessary."

"I'm not doing it for _you_ ," she cut in sharply. She flushed, embarrassed at her choice of words. "I—"

"I know, Miya," Estes said softly. "I know that you are trying to protect the people. But for once, let others do it—"

"I can't," she said, her fingernails digging into her palms as her fingers formed a fist. "I can't trust them to do it; I have to be the one who does it. I don't have faith in them, I know I should, but the only person I have faith in is myself."

"You need to learn," Estes said gently. "Learn to trust, Miya."

She looked at him, pleading with her mind, but wielded nothing. "You don't understand," she murmured. _I have to do this. I need to._ She would not let this happen again.

Estes frowned, the emotion souring his features. "Miya—"

She shook him off, refusing to listen. "I'm sorry," she whispered under her breath, as she turned to leave the room. The door clicked shut behind her, but she didn't look back.

If he wouldn't, she would save his life tonight.

III

 _Nightfall_

It was night, at last.

She opened the window in her bedroom, using the moon's light to guide her through the dimly lit city. She clung to the shadows, avoiding the folk in the town square who slept through the day and woke at night.

Miya ran towards the palace, its ethereal glow in the day turned into reflective reverence at night. She had positioned the guards well, to the point where even she could not sneak into the palace. She ran towards the forest, and waited.

Minutes later, her friend arrived, dressed in a midnight cloak of black like Miya's own. "I'm here," Neshya gasped, she had clearly been running to make in on time. "Sorry, I was—"

"Its fine," Miya cut in, her nervousness getting the better of her. "You are the one doing me a favour, I should not be complaining."

"True," Neshya commented. Her features were visibly grim in the moonlight. "Is it time, then?"

Miya nodded, pressing her fingers against the pocket, feeling for the necklace. "I have the necklace, everything's in place."

Neshya nodded in approval. She hesitated, looping her arms around Miya in an embrace. "Be safe, no matter what happens," she murmured. "I will never forgive myself, you know that."

"Eventually, you will," Miya whispered back. "Thank you so much for doing this for me."

Neshya let go, her arms settling at her sides. "Ready?" she asked.

"Always."

The mage concentrated, summoning magic power to her fingertips. " _El'yshere Reahare,_ " she hissed, clutching Miya's hand. The archer shivered as magic power settled over her body. The feeling was similar to somebody cracking eggs on your head, she mused, enjoying the tingling sensation while it lasted.

When the feeling wore off, she opened her eyes. "Did it work?"

Neshya looked around. "Definitely, I can't see you anymore."

The marksman sighed in relief. "Thank Selene," she murmured.

Her friend spoke rapidly, reminding her of the spell's effect. "Remember, there is no silencing magic," she warned, her eyes looking to a place to Miya's far left, as she could not see the elf due to the invisibility spell. "You can, and _will_ be heard if you make a noise. And, it will only last for a quarter hour, so you must be quick."

"I will," Miya said softly.

The mage sighed sadly. "You must go, I know, but I do not want you to leave." She paused, closing her eyes. "I will never understand your reasons, but I trust you for you are my dearest friend, are your choices are your own."

"Thank you," Miya whispered. "I will never forget."

"I love you, sister," Neshya whispered. "Never forget."

The words unspoken lay between them, connecting the two like strings of fate. _I love you too._

" _Never."_

Fighting the emotions, Miya ran from the scene, leaving Neshya staring where the sound of footsteps had been moments before.

III

She clambered onto the glass silently, watching the guard below her carefully. He hadn't heard anything, Miya assumed. Yet.

She needed to climb up to the second story window to let herself into the second floor. She couldn't break into the first floor, as there were many guards stationed by Miya herself on the first floor.

Gritting her teeth, Miya pulled her hand up to the next slippery glass carving. The walls of the palace had been carved elaborately, making it a relatively easy wall to climb, compared to a straight glass wall. Her finger slipped, and she gasped a little too loudly, causing the guard to look up.

She held on to the ledge of the second floor window, willing for her breath to slow with her heartbeat.

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

She held her breath.

The guard turned away.

She held back a sigh of relief and swung her other hand to the ledge to pull her body up. Her muscles tensed as they struggled to support her weight, but she pulled herself up, slipping into the room.

Miya flipped into a forward roll and landed on the floor of the room. It was silent in the company of the moon, and Miya was thankful. She snuck over to the door, edging it open, wincing as the old timber creaked in the silent palace.

She pulled it open agonisingly slow to prevent the noise, slipping into the hallway as soon as a large enough gap was formed. She looked around at the corridor, trying to see where about she was in the palace.

Miya's eyes widened and she swore in her mind as she realised her mistake. _The West Wing,_ she hissed angrily into the recesses of her mind. _Not the East Wing._

Her mistake meant that she would have to go to the other side of the palace- a feat that would take several minutes, made even longer due to the fact she had to be quiet.

The moonlight archer cursed one last time before making her way quietly and quickly to the other side of the palace. A guard flickered into view, and she stood deathly still, slowing her breath.

 _Inhale._

He walked around the open hallway, his footsteps echoing loudly while Miya's made no sound. Her hair tickled her neck at she fought the urge to move, as the guard did his rounds before returning to the other room.

… _Exhale._

She tore into the next room, repeating the process of stillness and silence until she made her way to the Eastern side of the palace.

The crystal faded into royal purples, signalling the royal wing of the palace. She sighed in relief, glancing at her hands. They still were invisible, she sighed in relief, as she crept into the room and shut the door.

It was empty, as expected. She waited moments before her limbs began to flicker back into existence, their source of magic dying. The invisibility spell had worn off at last. She glanced at the Moon. _Twelve minutes_ , Miya thought. Twelve minutes the spell had lasted for.

"Not bad, Neshya," she whispered in appreciation.

The dark light lit the room with shadows and black- the moon's ethereal light casting the room with flickers of luminescent blue. She sat on the bed; the sheets dyed a dark blue by the moonlight, unbuttoning her breast pocket.

Miya pulled the necklace out by the thread, the glamour charm twinkling with magic in the night. It winked at her, and she softly smiled.

 _It will be worth it._

She pulled of her cloak of midnight and dropped it onto the floor carelessly, the silk rippling into a puddle on the floor. Untying the frayed thread with a pick of her fingernails, she slipped the necklace around her neck.

The cold stone touched her chest and Miya winced at the icy feeling. The feeling turned into a burning sensation as she hissed with the pain.

When the spell was done, she opened her eyes.

She looked at her hands. They were larger, different- or was it just her? She crept up from the bed, looking into the mirror to the right side of the room.

Dim lighting made it hard to see, but she could make out features. Lines, the moonlight harsh on pale skin.

 _It had worked._

Miya looked into the mirror, but Estes looked back at her.

III

 _Before_

"A glamour," Neshya repeated, shaking her head. "You cannot hold a glamour for so long, Miya."

The moonlight archer had tutted, shaking her head. " _You_ can. Enchant an object to hold the spell in place."

"Say I do this," the mage said, frowning. "You have a glamour on you that makes you look like Estes. Then what?"

"I go to the royal wing," Miya explained. "I stay there overnight. The assassin will believe I am Estes, and will…"

… _kill me._

The words rung in the minds of the two, the afterthought a shadow over their minds.

"A doppelganger," Neshya said dryly. "You want to be a doppelganger."

"Estes is being moved to the West Wing for the night. Think about it, Neshya, the night elves don't know we know about their plan. They will assume everything is normal, and kill me as Estes. The object you give me to hold the glamour –a necklace perhaps- doesn't leave my skin, thus holding the glamour in place, even after my death."

"Disgusting, suicidal, selfish, hero," Neshya hissed. "Stop being a hero and for once let another take the damage, Miya!"

"It does not work that way," Miya pressed. "No soldier will willingly march to its death."

"You will," Neshya pointed out. She closed her eyes when she realised the error in her choice of words.

"Yes, I will," Miya repeated softly. "It will all be worth it."

III

She lies in the bed with the face of another.

Eyes that do not look like her own are closed. Hair that is not hers flutters on her cheeks. Tonight, she is a shield, a warrior. She prays she will die tonight to save another.

When the assassin creeps into the room, she knows. When they take out their emerald blades, she knows. She hears the dagger sing as it slides out of the sheath.

But she is still tonight. She must not be afraid.

She hears the hesitation that is in every murderer, the doubt that flashes before duty sinks in. She can almost hear the thoughts that run through the other's head.

 _Hold the knife steady. Quick, painless._

The motto of the assassins. Quick, painless- all premature deaths should be so. She only hopes her own will be honourable to the assassin's code.

Her stomach lurches forward, and she knows. Fire in her body- an inferno of red, she knows. Her eyes are shut in pain, but she can see the red, feel the warmth of the room.

But she lies still as best she can, to keep the necklace on her chest. To keep up the act as long as she can. She must.

"Sorry," the assassin whispers before fleeing. They believe their guilt has been told to a dead man, not a dying woman.

Fire, compared to the icy air stings. She's slipping away. The light flees in the wake of darkness, and she slips under.

She is lost.

III

 _Flicker of light._

 _Warmth, cold. Tingles and feelings in her fingers- or hands?_

 _Her eyes open._

" _Stay with me," the light whispers and she nods._

 _She pulls herself up, and the light beckons once more. It leads and she follows its path._

 _Her body is aegis itself- immortal in this realm of light so familiar. It's a beautiful light, she thinks. So bright but not too bright. To light the way, but to never burn._

 _She sees the eagle, watches as it dances in circles around her head._

 _She laughs._

 _It's a happy, beautiful sound. She should laugh more often, she thinks._

 _The eagle caws and disappears leaving a spirit. A wispy, ghost-like figure, which smiles with the guidance of years and leads with the knowledge of a thousand. A deity so familiar that she remembers the name but it slips from her lips._

" _Come back, child."_

 _She does._

III

She floats in and out of existence, but finally the day comes where her soul anchors to the realm of the mortal.

She's awake. She looks around. She's at the infirmary.

It's bright. Daytime, she realises. She remembers that she prefers the night.

"Miya."

She turns instinctively at the word, her name. She remembers in a flash, and Miya Estella is sobbing into her hands with the dignity of none.

A hand on her back, warm, supportive- like the light. "It worked," she whispers to herself. "It worked, and I'm dead and-"

"Miya."

She turns and sees the reason for her sacrifice before her. Estes. She looks down; her stomach patched with magic, moon-magic, _Estes'_ magic.

"You saved my life."

She laughed, but it looked like she was crying, her face tinted red with blush-blood. "Yes, I did," she whispered. "And I'm glad I did."

"You shouldn't have done that, Miya," he said softly but the warmth behind it echoed with gratitude. "I had plans myself, but it turns out I never needed them."

"Really," she whispered dully.

"I am selfish Miya," he admitted. "But I know what happens to us if I die. That alone is my reason to live, along with…other things."

And Miya smiled, her head against his chest, the pain in her stomach nothing compared to the sting in her heart.

 **to be continued**

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 **endnote.** hey, sorry for the bad quality of last chapter. I was trying to rush the chapter- get it done asap before school started. It will be edited thoroughly, and the rewrite of chapter three will be higher on my list of priorities than writing the first draft of chapter five is.

MIYA VALENTINES SKINEBFKFBEKF definition of perfect :) though. It. Should. Have. Been. With. ESTES *screams*

And: selene = moon in greek. Selene is the Greek Goddess of the moon. I thought her best suited to portray the 'moon deity' referenced in the lore of both Miya and Estes. Estes' ability is named 'domain of the moon goddess' while Miya's catchphrase in her modena butterfly skin is 'Moon God!'. I was confused to what gender of the deity was, but decided on a whim to make the deity female.

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 **replies. (haha I'm glad I haven't lost everyone with my bad writing :)**

 **Missing Middle:** Wow… just thank you. The first few days after I posted the chapter I received no response so I was scared that the chapter wasn't good enough- since it had been written in a rush. I was on the verge of pulling the chapter and rewriting it entirely. But I think your review pulled me out of my hole of doubt :) and yeah, after some consideration, I realised I had too many plot bunnies to keep it as a small story lol.

And yes, the return of Alubaby :) Yeah, I shipped MiyaAlu for a while before I decided to convert to my little religion of worshipping Mestes. I'm happy to add him back because he was a joy to write. He's my playboy bby. And no you're definitely not weird for maining Estes! He's super fun to play . Hope you to see you next chapter. Love, silver :)

 **Tomafia:** Hahaha, thank you! I'm glad you like this story enough to check it regularly. And aww thanks for your inspiring compliments because as a writer they really mean the world to me. You've heard it all before, really xD Thanks for your support and I hope to see you next chapter. Love, Silver.

 **Maine:** Hi Maine! *waves* Yeah, I'm sad to see Freya go too…. Tbh I really wanted to keep her along for the ride, but as the fate of all side characters, she can't hold the spotlight for too long D: And I don't want too many characters in my main cast because that would be confusing in my opinion. But hey, I'm open for suggestions. Thanks for your review, see you next chapter. Love, Silver.

 **tooextraforyou:** Haha, kudos to your name :) Thank you so much for your review, and welcome to the story because you seem new ^^ And thank you for your comments regarding characterisation and quality! Those make my so happy :3 Well, I hope you stick along for the ride! See ya next chapter! Love, Silver.

 **chounojou:** ahhh yay you're back ! I'm glad that my work encourages people like that xD

Thank you for all your kind comments, they really make me feel good. I try to bring this word alive as much as I can; I'm glad that it seems to be working with you! There's a little more drama to come… won't give spoilers but just a head up xD Thanks for the review! Love, Silver.

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I was surfing the web lately, and stumbled upon a beautiful artwork done by none other than **chounojou**. I'd seen the picture before but I didn't know you were the artist! It's a beautiful pic of Miya and Estes. Check it out to hyper your inner fangirl.

 **From now on, most reviews will be answered via PM. Guest reviewers/ those that don't log in, please let me know if you want me to respond to your review. Thanks.**

/silver!


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